Dubai Municipality Strengthens Animal Welfare with New Integrated Pet Shelter and Digital Adoption Platform
Dubai Municipality has inaugurated a new integrated pet shelter at the Birds and Pets Market in Warsan, enhancing the city’s veterinary services and animal welfare framework. This initiative underscores the Municipality’s dedication to promoting compassion, safeguarding animal welfare, and fostering responsible pet ownership, aligning with Dubai’s humanitarian values and progressive urban ethos.
The shelter aims to provide a secure and humane environment for stray and loose companion animals. It supports responsible adoption and the sustainable management of stray animal populations. Animals housed at the facility receive comprehensive care in accordance with internationally recognized health and welfare standards before being matched with suitable adoptive families.
The project aligns with the objectives of the Dubai Civility Committee, enhancing the urban landscape and promoting positive community behavior, which is integral to the quality of life for residents and visitors. It further reinforces Dubai’s commitment to compassion, animal welfare, and sustainable civic practices, contributing to the emirate’s vision of offering the highest quality of life.
Supporting Partnerships
To advance this initiative, Dubai Municipality has entered into memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with Vets Fur Pets Veterinary Clinic and Phoenix Veterinary Clinic. These partnerships aim to elevate animal care standards by leveraging international best practices, digital solutions, and the values of compassion rooted in the UAE’s heritage and Islamic principles.
These collaborations establish a framework for the treatment of stray and loose companion animals suffering from injuries or serious illnesses, aiding in their stabilization and rehabilitation. They also promote best practices in the humane management and care of community animals, while supporting public awareness programs on responsible pet ownership and animal welfare.
The scope of cooperation includes humane and sustainable management of community animal populations through initiatives such as Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programs for stray cats, along with treatment and care programs for stray dogs and cats.
Additionally, the partnerships encompass community awareness, education, and outreach activities, facilitating the exchange of expertise among government entities, academic institutions, veterinary professionals, private-sector organizations, and community groups. They also support training programs, workshops, and knowledge-sharing initiatives for relevant stakeholders and volunteers.
Digital Platform
In conjunction with the shelter’s opening, Dubai Municipality has launched a dedicated digital adoption platform. This platform allows users to browse animals available for adoption and review their health and behavioral profiles. It simplifies the adoption process, enabling prospective adopters to make informed decisions based on the needs of each animal.
Integrated Facilities
The shelter features a variety of modern facilities designed according to international best practices in animal care. These include a Customer Happiness Centre, a dedicated pre-adoption viewing area, and interactive adoption rooms where prospective adopters can meet animals prior to finalizing the adoption process.
The facility also houses a fully equipped veterinary clinic, a state-of-the-art surgical operating theatre outfitted with advanced veterinary technologies, and a dedicated pet grooming unit. Additional amenities include a reception and rehabilitation area for stray and loose animals, where they receive care in line with scientific and humane practices, as well as a center for reuniting lost pets with their owners after verifying identification and ownership details.
Dr. Naseem Mohammed Rafei, Acting CEO of the Environment, Health and Safety Agency at Dubai Municipality, stated that the opening of the integrated pet shelter represents a significant advancement in the development of public health and veterinary services. The facility enhances the Municipality’s ability to provide sustainable, efficient, and proactive services that protect animal welfare and contribute to a higher quality of life across the emirate.
He emphasized that the shelter supports the ‘One Health’ approach, recognizing the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health. It also encourages responsible adoption and pet ownership while reinforcing the values of compassion, humanity, and civic responsibility that align with Dubai’s vision of becoming the world’s best city to live in.
Dubai Municipality employs a scientific and humane approach to managing stray and loose companion animals, which includes providing essential care to rescued animals and implementing internationally recognized Trap-Neuter-Return and Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return programs. Under these initiatives, stray cats are humanely trapped, neutered, and vaccinated as necessary before being returned to their original locations, provided this does not jeopardize public safety or the animals’ well-being.
Community members are encouraged to utilize the shelter’s services and support responsible pet adoption by providing companion animals with safe and caring homes. Those interested in adopting a pet can access the dedicated digital platform at: https://hub.dm.gov.ae/link/servicesdetails?ServiceCode=4130.
Earlier this year, Dubai Municipality also launched the region’s first ‘Ihsan’ smart feeding stations for stray and loose companion animals. This initiative introduced 12 AI-powered feeding units across various locations in Dubai to support animal welfare and environmental sustainability while promoting compassion and responsible community behavior.
As reported by www.emirates247.com.
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Published on 2026-07-26 23:13:00 • By FAME Delivered News Desk