Sharjah: The first shelter for cats and dogs in the emirate is currently looking for help expanding their services for stray animals.
"We have lots of stray animals and are providing shelter for 60 cats and 20 puppies. At the moment we have a building to house the cats, while the puppies are kept in a separate room, our future aim is to have a separate facility only for canines," said Emma Cresswell, Director, Sharjah Cat and Dog Shelter.
The problem of stray cats and dogs has been a growing concern for residents, as there were previously no animal shelters in the city, and it was quite common to see loose animals near busy highways and main roads.
Creswell told Gulf News that all the sheltered animals are available for adoption and are being properly taken care of by the resident veterinarian. Each homeless pet is regularly de-wormed and given a flea and tick preventative treatment.
"The cat shelter is a state-of-the-art, cage-less building comprising of eight suites allowing the establishment to house up to six cats in each room.
"We are currently constructing a similar concept for Sharjah's homeless dogs on the same property.
The shelter was designed to meet the needs of our homeless feline guests, and canine guests in the future."
Part of the expansion plan includes creating a dog park facility on site, which will be set aside for dogs to exercise and play off their leashes in a controlled environment under the supervision of their owners.
The off-leash dog park will provide residents with an opportunity to meet other dog owners.
Help out
- The Cat and Dog Shelter is located near Sharjah International Airport in the Ruhmania district.
- Residents can visit the webpage www.scads.ae to either register as volunteers or to view pictures and details of the cats and dogs that are up for adoption.
- Residents can make donations by contacting the shelter on 06 5453985 or via email: donate@scads.ae
