Today's Edition
BATOOL GHAITH (ABU DHABI)
Animal Welfare Abu Dhabi (AWAD) and Microchipped.ae have launched a free online training course to help volunteers move beyond simply feeding stray cats toward more comprehensive, humane, and sustainable care.
The course, developed by AWAD and Microchipped.ae, spans nine interactive modules and takes approximately three hours to complete. It covers key topics, including humane feeding, safe trapping, colony mapping, disease recognition, and emotional intelligence when engaging with both animals and members of the public.
Supported by the British Veterinary Centre, Mike’s Veterinary Clinic in Dubai, and Pet Pavilion in Musaffah, the course integrates professional veterinary advice and safety guidelines to ensure participants learn best practices aligned with the trap-neuter-return (TNR) model.
“Feeding alone, while well-intentioned, does not address the root of the challenge, which is population control,” Dr. Rachel J. Shaw, CEO of AWAD, told Aletihad.
The course helps people understand that long-term welfare depends on reducing overpopulation through humane methods such as Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Microchip-Return (TNVMR), Shaw said.
She added, “The reality is that communities will always feed; compassion is not the problem, but sustainability often is. Through the training, we guide participants on how to take that compassion a step further to manage colonies responsibly, ensure cats are sterilised, vaccinated, and microchipped, and to work within the framework rather than outside it. It is about turning informal care into informed action.”
According to Shaw, more than 200 people have already enrolled in the course, with numbers continuing to grow.
“We have made it mandatory for all AWAD staff and volunteers working within our Community Cat Care Programme. It is especially invaluable in giving community members the confidence and knowledge to take the first steps responsibly,” Shaw said.
She pointed out that the impact is already visible across Abu Dhabi.
“There are many more people helping community cats through TNVMR and responsible colony management. They are also encouraging others in their communities to do the same. Instead of waiting for external intervention, people are learning to be part of the solution,” she added.
David Appleby, Founder of Microchipped.ae, said the idea for the course stemmed from a clear gap in community-led stray animal care.
“Many people genuinely care about community cats and are doing their best to help, but not everyone understands how to do it safely or effectively. This inspired us to create the course to offer clear and expert-led guidance based on international best practices,” Appleby told Aletihad.
According to Appleby, the course gives individuals a chance to learn the right way to support community cats, whether they are directly involved in TNVMR or not.
“Education has always been the missing piece, and this programme fills that gap by helping people understand everything from feline behaviour and colony management to early disease recognition,” he explained.
So far, the course has received overwhelmingly positive feedback. “Building on that response, we are now developing our next course focused on kitten care — another key area where people often seek guidance, such as what to do if they find a kitten on the street,” Appleby said.
Organisers said that if the initiative continues to prove successful, it will be expanded to include future training modules tailored for the care of other species, including dogs and wildlife in the UAE.
