Over the past week there has been at least one post every day on social media about animal abuse. Horrific incidents have been reported of dogs abandoned carelessly, kept chained outside the house or in the balcony in a country where temperature is soaring. Just this morning there was a post by one of the rescue organisations about how a pup lost his life for no fault of his. The pup who tested positive for parvovirus was brought into the veterinary clinic a bit too late. So, the moral of the story is adopting an animal is a huge responsibility which can’t and shouldn’t be underestimated. There are many things to consider. For starters, read our detailed Dog Homecoming series to know more about evaluating your preparedness before bringing a dog home. But those who feel ready for it and are looking to adopt/foster a dog, check these 5 animal rescue organisations in the UAE. Give these beautiful rescues a chance to love again and understand what true love means. Make a difference by supporting rescuers who are working tirelessly to save lives.

Stray Dogs Center

Based in Umm Al Quwain and managed by Amirah William and her team of animal empaths Stray Dogs Center houses and cares for over 780 dogs. This licensed no kill shelter is on a mission to rescue and support abused, abandoned, neglected and forgotten strays in the UAE.

Animals and US

Founded by Michelle Francis Animals and Us is a registered animal shelter based in Fujairah. It is home to over 400 dogs and looks after strays in Fujairah. Michelle has been working tirelessly to rescue animals impacted by the recent flooding in the emirate.

Ras Al Khaimah Animal Welfare Centre

Established in the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah more than a decade ago the Ras Al Khaimah Animal Welfare Centre (RAKAWC) specialises in animal adoption services. It also conducts educational programmes to drive awareness among school children about animal welfare and responsible pet ownership.

K9 Friends

K9 Friends is the oldest animal welfare organisation in Dubai and the UAE that aims to find responsible foster and forever homes for rescued dogs. It operates as a non-profit organisation through the Government’s Community Development Authority (CDA).

Bubbles Pet Rescue

Bubbles Pet Rescue facilitates adoption of abandoned, abused, injured, neglected and unwanted pets in the UAE.

Some tips

Even before looking for a dog to foster/adopt evaluate your reasons and if you are equipped to do so. Always take a long-term view because a dog is a commitment for a lifetime which if translated into years should easily span more than a decade.

Always budget for pet care expenses including food, toys, beds and other necessities to veterinary bills, day care/boarding expenses, pet relocation and more. Here’s an article that might help.

Finally, before placing a list of breed-specific, size, colour, gender, age related requirements with the rescue centres, remember that a shelter doesn’t function like a ‘build you own meal’ at a restaurant. Does that mean you can’t have any requirements? Of course, you can but keep it to minimum such as size of the dog based on your living space. If you already have a dog at home, it might be prudent to foster/adopt in a manner where both will get along with each other. Also be mindful that peaceful coexistence of pets might take a while. It will require proper planning, a lot of patience and in some cases even positive reinforcement driven training.