Today's Edition
SHAMA AHMAD (ABU DHABI)
In the heart of Abu Dhabi, a dedicated animal welfare initiative has transformed the lives of 100s of abandoned and abused animals. Animalia, founded by Dr. Susan Aylott, has provided a safe haven for countless animals since its inception four years ago with the support of volunteers and animal advocates.
According to the clinic, their mission is to offer a community-centric animal welfare model in the UAE, integrating veterinary care, community engagement and corporate solutions.
Among the many animal welfare interventions by the clinic, the recent rescue and rehabilitation of an injured dog serve as testament to the clinic's mission and vision.
"Bella", an abandoned and abused dog found by a group of children who took her to the clinic, had suffered severe injuries to both of her front legs. As the owner's whereabouts were not known, the clinic, with the support of animal lovers, conducted timely surgeries that offered the dog a new life.
"We took her in, and we performed a long bone osteosynthesis. We put a plate, and we screw it," Dr. Amer Grizic, a head vet at Animalia, said.
"We called her the dancing queen. For the first weeks she was walking only on hind legs and we had to do another cut as there was a malunion of the bone. After a couple of weeks, she was able to walk again" Dr. Grizic added.
Now Bella is in the care of her new owner Wende Smith, who has been living in Abu Dhabi for five years. Smith, who never thought of adopting a dog, was moved by a post on Facebook about Bella adoption and decided to give her a happy home.
"She, of course, has her situation with the fact that her two legs were broken, but she doesn't need any special care, she is pretty much like a normal dog," Smith said.
Speaking to Aletihad, Dr. Aylott said: "We had to make sure that Bella was going to be treated exquisitely well because she had been badly treated before. We wanted to make sure she could trust humans again, and that's the difficult part. she never stopped trusting people and that shows how big of heart this dog has."
Due to Bella, Smith adopted an injured cat too. During one of her dog walking sessions, Bella became acquainted with a cat. After noticing the cat was also injured, Smith decided to adopt her. "The only thing I would say to people who want to adopt or who want to have a pet is to be sure you are willing to commit for the life of the animal. When you adopt a dog, its minimum 10 years," Smith said.
As for Aylott, the goal is to have "the most amazing animal welfare here in the UAE".
"I believe in gold standard animal welfare and there is no compromise in dealing with animals. We show kindness, we show respect, we show empathy and compassion. However, we must make it a positive experience for all to make the change."
