Dubai: A group of students are forgoing their usual sweet treats and urging their parents to use that money for pet food as part of a month-long school aid programme for unwanted animals.
Students at Star International School in Al Twar 2 managed to raise money for some 300 cans and bags of pet food for the Sharjah Cats and Dogs Shelter.
A school official said many pupils had sacrificed their regular treats to pay for the pet food.
Fourth-grader Ahmad Minenko said animals also need help just like people. "I feel sorry for animals who have nothing to eat. I bought some puppy chew and a can of food," he said. His classmate Mohammad Waleed added: "We need to care for animals. They don't have an owner or home sometimes and they're hungry."
The students have previously helped out labourers in the UAE and victims of natural disasters overseas. The school is considering making the animal aid drive a regular event. "Animals are so often overlooked, there's little awareness about their problems," said school teacher Laura Kilvington.
A volunteer for the shelter said the donations would help feed some 80 stray cats and 20 dogs currently under its care. Shelter vet Kathleen Leguin said: "We keep getting new ones all the time - about eight cats and four dogs every day. We depend on people's help, so this is great."
The strays are rounded up by municipality officers and handed over to the shelter. The captured cats are neutered and let loose again; the dogs are spayed and kept for re-homing.
Leguin said: "The cats are doing better than dogs; they know how to find food. The dogs are scared of people and go through leftovers at construction sites and workers' housing. They act like wolves, coming out in the early morning or late night."
