Today's Edition
SAMIHAH ZAMAN (ABU DHABI)
With temperatures climbing past 40°C this summer, the UAE's care for its most vulnerable extends beyond its people. Organisations, community members, and animal lovers in Abu Dhabi are stepping up to make sure stray cats and dogs are safe from the heat, with food, water, shelter, and medical care when they need it.
Their compassion reflects the country’s commitment to the welfare and wellbeing of all forms of life.
Animal care is embedded into legal frameworks in the UAE. Federal Law No 16 of 2007 Concerning the Protection of Animals calls for animal comfort amid changing weather conditions, and measures to ensure that stray animals are safe without posing a threat to the community.
Across government organisations, a broader lens of responsible ownership and community partnership has since brought animal care to the forefront.
The Department of Municipalities and Transport (Abu Dhabi DMT) organises awareness campaigns throughout the year, promoting responsible pet ownership and humane treatment. The authority has consistently highlighted the importance of providing animals with safe environments and appropriate veterinary care, while enforcing regulations governing the sale and ownership of pets.
Through regular field visits to pet stores across the emirate, Abu Dhabi DMT ensures that animals under the care of commercial outlets are healthy. In the summer months, the authority ensures compliance by intensifying inspections.
Pet Registration a Game-changer
In parallel, the authority has introduced comprehensive animal ownership registration services, which requires pet owners to microchip cats and dogs and register them on the Abu Dhabi Government’s TAMM platform, in coordination with veterinary clinics.
Officials say the initiative — which came into force in February 2026 and mandates a Dh1,000 fine for unregistered pets alongside a Dh500 for delayed registration renewals — encourages responsible ownership, helps reunite lost pets with their families, and discourages abandonment, one of the main drivers of stray animal populations. It also creates a centralised database of pets in the emirate and their owners.
Aida Custovic, veterinarian at Australian Vet Hospital, told Aletihad that Abu Dhabi’s pet registration law has been a gamechanger in limiting the numbers of strays, and in controlling the spread of diseases in feline populations.
Volunteers are First Line of Defence
Beyond regulation, Abu Dhabi has also embraced community-based solutions.
Animal Welfare Abu Dhabi (AWAD), a non-profit, runs a Community Cat Care Programme for free-roaming felines.
Dr Rachel Shaw, Chief Executive Officer of AWAD, said the initiative provides food, water, and even veterinary treatment to community cats across Mamsha, Mayan, Rayaana, The Club, and Al Forsan.
In summer, when hydration becomes critical, AWAD deploys large-volume, gravity-fed water feeders made from PVC piping.
"These feeders are designed to provide a substantial water reserve, helping ensure continuous access despite rapid evaporation in the extreme heat," Dr Shaw said.
"They are effective not only for community cats but for many other species," she added, noting that AWAD is happy to share its design with other communities.
The public is also encouraged to provide some water — “not only for cats and dogs, but for all animals that share our environment, including birds, reptiles, geckos, and other native wildlife”, Dr Shaw said.
Amid the summer heat, individual volunteers become the first line of defence against dehydration. Across residential communities, dedicated community members refill water bowls several times a day, replenish feeding stations during cooler hours, and monitor familiar cat colonies for signs of illness or injury.
“I have worked in Abu Dhabi for the past nine years and have seen growing community involvement in caring for stray cats, particularly during the summer months,” Custovic said.
“Near our clinic at Reem Island, individuals have begun creating small, improvised shelters for cats, and I have noticed feeding and watering stations set up in high-traffic areas.”
Many people also transport sick or injured animals to veterinary clinics, and foster vulnerable kittens until permanent homes can be found.
“Recently, I took care of a cat that was found injured by a therapist at a nearby salon, who then brought her in for treatment. A lot of animals were also brought in during the rains earlier this year,” the vet said.
Amna Al Remaithi, an Emirati student who has eight cats of her own, said care and concern for all living species is embedded in the UAE’s social fabric.
“In the UAE, and in the wider Middle East, taking care of the animals who live among us is an essential part of our culture and upbringing. We always put out food and water, and even animals seem to understand that they can ‘show us’ when they need something,” she told Aletihad.
Several neighbourhoods have quietly established informal networks where residents rotate feeding schedules, maintain shaded shelters, and coordinate veterinary visits through messaging groups.
Jana Farahat, a 20-year-old Egyptian-American student, feels it is her “responsibility” to tend to the felines near her home and her university because they bring her so much joy.
“These beings are part of our communities, bringing us much happiness and contributing to our wellbeing. So, we try to do our bit to take care of them,” she told Aletihad.
In collaboration with some like-minded friends and staff members at her university, Farahat – who has four cats at home – has set up feeding and hydration stations in Abu Dhabi, as well as little shelters amid the bushes to provide a degree of protection from the heat.
Animal welfare advocates also continue to encourage residents to adopt rather than purchase pets, stressing that every successful adoption creates space for another rescued animal.
Sterilisation for Strays
Besides basic care, stray animal welfare also calls for population control through structured sterilisation programmes.
In 2010, the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital was designated to manage – via the Abu Dhabi Animal Shelter - the emirate’s Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programme, which aims to neuter, microchip, and vaccinate stray cats before returning them to the neighbourhoods in which they were originally found.
Community organisations are now playing a vital role in furthering this mission as the most humane and effective way to control stray cat populations.
“AWAD believes that responsible feeding must go hand in hand with sterilisation,” Dr Shaw said. “Simply feeding community cats without implementing TNR is not a sustainable approach, as it allows populations to continue growing. We encourage residents who care for community cats to sterilise them and then provide ongoing food and water as part of responsible colony management.”
Farahat, who supports local TNR initiatives, explained that she regularly pools
funds to help sterilise and tend to free-roaming cats.
Dr Shaw said AWAD is also willing to train community members in safe trapping techniques, with references to vet services that offer excellent rates for community cat sterilisation and care.
The organisation itself operates community-wide TNR programmes, with 350 community cats successfully sterilised since 2025.
Abu Dhabi residents can avail of free government-assisted TNR services by contacting the Abu Dhabi Government hotline - 800 555.
