Animals - not just objects or commodities, but living souls who are part of our family.

There are so many homeless cats and dogs in the UAE, with a few kindhearted people who go out of their way to help the situation. I have assisted in the process of TRN – Take, neuter and release, a process a lot of rescuers use. Basically, a cage is set up with a juicy treat inside, once the cat goes in, the cage door closes, and we can get them to the vet for neutering / spaying. This prevents them from breeding and having another litter of 10 babies, born on the streets, growing the population exponentially. Once the cats have been neutered / spayed, we release them back to their community making sure to keep food and water close by. Dogs tend to be a bit easier in the sense that you can approach them, but there is a scary number of homeless animals on the streets or abandoned to shelters. Some shelters alone have over 200 animals, not to mention the 20 street cats you see on a daily basis. 

People need to be made aware that two things happen to all these poor homeless animals:

 1. They go to a shelter where people, most times and individual supports them out of their own pocket and relies on the community to donate food etc. Once the shelter is at its capacity, the individual has no choice but to put some animals to sleep, or say no to any other animals who might need a home or help. 

2. The municipality does a round up where they catch as many as they can and simply put them all to sleep, regardless of age, nature etc. 

This is heart wrenching and the only way to stop it is to work together, with everyone’s help and contribution. Small decisions have such major impact on the lives of these souls. 

I myself, have assisted in a few rescues, rehoming’s and even have two rescue cats of my own. They are the best little animals I could ever ask for and have the most caring personalities. You can just see they are so grateful for the love they get and the home that they have. 

I think the main reason there is such an issue with homeless animals in the UAE and around the world as a whole, is because people see animals as a commodity, not as pets who are part of their family. Everyone gets themselves a cat / dog / animal for fun, for a hobby, as a gift for the children or family, for their looks or appearances and don’t actually consider or think about the welfare and future of the animal. Before getting a pet, a few things to ask yourself would be, can I afford to have a pet? If I need to leave the country, can I take my pet with me? do I want a long-term commitment to a pet? Am I ready to take care of a pet and know how to? Am I allergic to this pet? If unsure, how can I find out that I’m allergic before committing to a pet? 

A lot of people don’t do this, they get animals on impulse and then abandon them as soon as they become an inconvenience. I see this time and time again, especially on social media where people have gotten a pet, made him / her part of the family and suddenly need to rehome them urgently or abandon them to the streets because someone in the family is allergic, or they have to leave the country, or they are no longer interested because of all the work. 

Some of the ways we can help to ensure pets don't end up on the streets, or to decrease the frequency in which this is happening is to: 

1. Educate: Educate people that neutering / spaying your animal is not a form of abuse! It is good for their long-term health and of course, avoids the increasing number of animals who are likely to be homeless or end up homeless. 
2. Don’t breed! people think their animals have a right to breed, or breed them for financial purposes without considering the welfare of the babies. They sell them off to make a quick buck and sadly, a lot of the times the people who buy / take these pets end up dropping them off at a shelter on abandoning them to the streets shortly after. 
3. Ask yourself the right questions and be honest with yourself: can I afford to have a pet? If I need to leave the country, can I take my pet with me? do I want a long-term commitment to a pet? Am I ready to take care of a pet and know how to? Am I allergic to this pet? If unsure, how can I find out that I’m allergic before committing to a pet
4. Government: stop the import of exotic animals and since animals need to be registered on an individuals Emirates ID, put punishments and hefty fines on those left abandoned, and stricter rules in place before getting a pet. 
5. Adopt don’t shop! There are soooo many homeless animals with the most beautiful personalities just waiting to find their forever home. Spending most of their lives in a 1x1m cage, sometimes even smaller! All they want is to have a home where they are loved, cared for, played with, have enough space to stretch and can have peaceful sleep. 

Let’s start together today to make a difference for tomorrow.

Thanks so much to Khaleej Times , for allowing me to share this with so many people. its a topic that is very near and dear to my heart. Animals don't have a voice, they cant tell you when they are sad or hurting. They can show you, but most times are ignored. They rely on us humans to be their voice, here is mine.

#animals #animalwelfare #souls #betheirvoice #raiseawareness