Are you looking forward to welcoming a furball or feathered friend to the family? Or have you spotted an injured animal and want to seek the help of a rescue facility? You can find several animal shelters in Dubai that offer a full range of adoption and welfare services for your furry friends. Likewise, some organisations offer rescue services in Dubai and help nurse injured animals back to health.
Across the world, there is a growing awareness of the importance of respecting animal welfare. And Dubai is no different. Some organisations are managing full-time shelters to take care of sick, injured or orphaned animals.
Animal Shelters in Dubai
Like other countries, animal shelters in Dubai UAE are a haven for cats and dogs that have been abandoned, lost, surrendered or are victims of cruelty and abuse.
Pets and even stray animals are often at the mercy of human beings. Given our privilege, it is our duty and responsibility to be kind towards them. If circumstances don’t provide you with an opportunity to keep pets in your home, you can also contribute to the noble cause by supporting people and organisations involved with animal rescue. If you live in a pet-friendly community in Dubai and want a four-legged companion, you could adopt a furry pal from one of the facilities mentioned below.
We present a list of animal shelters in Dubai that provide food, shelter and healthcare to animals in need.
Please note that the operating hours for these animal shelters may differ due to COVID-19.
K9 Friends
K9 Friends is one of the most popular animal shelters in Dubai that has been operating since 1989. The facility is currently home to more than 125 dogs and puppies. K9 Friends rescues strays, abandoned dogs and gives them food and shelter until they find a new, loving and caring permanent home. In fact, it is one animal shelter in Dubai that provides the best possible care to improve the lives of lost, abandoned and unwanted animals in Dubai.
Educational campaigns for the public are also organised by the welfare centre. Besides adopting such vulnerable animals instead of choosing to go with a pet breeder, you could also support K9 Friends by helping with sponsorships, volunteering time, providing the required products or even fostering dogs. K9 Friends is one of the most well-known dog shelters in Dubai.
- Contact: +971-4-887-8739
Dubai Pet Rescue Team – DPRT
The Dubai Pet Rescue Team works on locating, trapping and checking the health of abandoned or stray animals. Primarily, DPRT works with dogs who have been abandoned or surrendered by owners and also rescues other animals where possible. They don’t provide shelter services as of now and follow a foster care system. To support them or to adopt a canine or feline friend, please visit their official Facebook page.
38 Smiles
When Kremena Ivanova moved to a new home in Dubai, she was in for a surprise. Few stray cats would turn up at her door each day demanding food and love, and it was impossible for her to say No! What started as a small step of kindness is now a registered feline adoption and rescue organisation. They rescue cats in Dubai in large numbers.
38 Smiles is named after the number of the villa where Ivanova lives. Their motto is “help the strays of today become the pets of tomorrow.” Whenever a new pet arrives, the organisation pays for all the medical costs involved to get them vaccinated, chipped and registered.
38 Smiles rescues injured animals, feeds strays, provides healthcare and helps find lost, abandoned and unwanted pets find a new home. They also run trapping, neutering and releasing campaigns. You can support them by volunteering at 38 Smiles’ adoption day.
Red Paw Foundation
Red Paw Foundation is a wonderful group of volunteers that provides homes for abandoned and stray cats and dogs in Dubai. You can adopt a furry friend from the foundation. Alternatively, you could also help them by providing them with food and other essential items. Their volunteers work tirelessly to rescue animals in Dubai.
- Contact: +97-56-135-6252
SNIFF – Strays Needing Interim or Furever Friends
This animal shelter in Dubai looks after dogs and cats until they find a new home. SNIFF also rescues injured animals and takes good care of them until they are healthy. You can also adopt animals from their shelter. To know more, check out their social media accounts.
Kittysnip
Kittysnip is a Dubai-based non-profit welfare group that provides shelter to cats and dogs. Moreover, they also hold adoption days regularly. You could adopt a four-legged friend permanently, or even keep them for a short period of time as foster parents. You would be given a litter tray, litter and food in a starter pack. So, if you are looking to provide foster care for a little furball, just drop a message on their official social media pages. Fostering is one of the many ways you can improve the lives of homeless animals.
This wraps up our list of animal shelters in Dubai. Whether it is a proper shelter or an animal rescue centre in Dubai, these facilities rely on the generosity of volunteers and sponsors.
One way to support the amazing work done by these facilities is to avoid buying from pet shops and adopting animals from these shelters. It reduces the pressure on the boarding facilities and allows them to bring in new animals. There are some other pet adoption centres in Dubai which you can visit too. Remember, there are a number of pet-friendly places in Dubai.
The UAE government also supports several animal welfare programs. The UAE Dolphin Project, for example, works on rehabilitating whales and dolphins across the UAE. The research data can help sustain the growth of these wonderful creatures. You can contribute in multiple ways, starting from reporting a dolphin or whale sighting or volunteering. While we cannot categorise UAE Dolphin Projects as a typical animal rescue centre in Dubai, it does a vital job in animal conservation. Being at the top of the food chain, dolphins and whales play a vital role in the marine eco-system. And we must remember that the survival of the human race depends on biodiversity. You can know more about the program by calling +971-56-671-7164.
You can find animal shelters across the UAE. In fact, similar to shelters in Dubai, animal shelters in Abu Dhabi are also run mostly by volunteers. These organisations are doing an incredible job when it comes to caring for animals in the capital city.
Are you aware of any other animal shelters in Dubai? Let us known in the comments section and we’ll be sure to add them to this list!
