Dubai: Six cross-breed puppies bound enthusiastically towards the glass-fronted door every time a visitor passes by.
They are all undeniably cute and they are all reserved.
K9 Friends, a Dubai-based non-profit dog rescue organisation, has settled into its new purpose-built facility in Jebel Ali.
But it still faces the age-old dilemma of residents clambering for puppies that pull on the heartstrings while, often, the adult dogs just around the corner receive nothing other than a passing glance.
The six cross-breed puppies will soon grow into adults and the concern is they will then find themselves back at this very shelter.
It is a problem that Jackie Ratcliffe, K9 Friends' Chairperson, is well aware of and one she acknowledges is difficult to eradicate.
Ratcliffe said: "It never takes long for the puppies to be adopted. We conduct thorough interviews with each potential owner to make sure they know about the responsibility they are taking on. The novelty wears off for a lot of people once the puppy grows into an adult."
Once you pass through the metal gates into the shiny new reception area, you can see the multi-purpose centre has 40 main kennels in four blocks of 10 and can accommodate 110 dogs.
Each block has its own kitchen for food preparation and every kennel has a flap providing easy access to an outdoor run.
The new facility, which has been built on land donated by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, also features a reception, shop, staff kitchen and several offices so that volunteers can conduct interviews with possible fosterers.
An education arena will provide seating for around 30 adults and children and an assessment centre will allow K9 staff to better analyse every dog as they arrive.
Access
Ratcliffe said: "We're not finished yet but we're definitely getting there. We've got the office all set up and most of the runs are finished; we just need shading over the big run now. It's taken us around six months but we're nearly there. Hopefully by the time we officially open at the end of the month we'll have everything in place.
"In Al Quoz we had a warehouse with 26 metal cages and none of the dogs had 24-hour access to an outdoor area. We did take each of them out twice a day but in Jebel Ali we have 40 kennels that are tiled and air conditioned with build-in beds and door flaps offering around the clock access to an outside area. We also have a reception, shop, interview room, assessment room and isolation blocks. There's no comparison at all between the two places."
There are currently 101 dogs residing at K9's kennels and there is no indication the number of dogs abandoned in Dubai is going to decrease any time soon.
Ratcliffe added: "The situation in Dubai is still the same; we have a huge waiting list and calls are coming in on a daily basis. In terms of the next few months we plan to finish all the structural work but we will keep on running the charity in the same way we've always done.
"The biggest addition is our education centre as it will allow us to bring schoolchildren to the shelter and educate them about animal welfare. We've never had that opportunity before. I believe that education is the key thing above everything else. I think it's great; I wouldn't do it if I didn't love it. I like coming here every day and I love the people I work with."
K9 Friends will officially open its new shelter on October 31.
