Animal lover hopes villa tour will spark donation

Dubai: An Emirati woman with a passion for pets is hoping land will be donated for a dedicated animal rescue facility in Dubai.

Aisha Kelaif, who lives with more than 90 rescued animals in Al Barsha, says her villa has almost reached capacity. However, she is still receiving dozens of phone calls every day from people looking to offload their pets.

The 44-year-old opened the gates of her villa to the public for the first time on Friday in a bid to raise funds and awareness of the situation. Dozens of people arrived between noon and 4pm for an exotic animal tour. There was also face painting and games to keep the youngsters amused.

Aisha said: "In the last year the number of animals at the villa has doubled. I'm now looking after 98 animals compared to 48 this time last year. I receive calls from people every day trying to offload a snake or some other exotic pet they have become bored with. But I don't have any more room.

"I would like some land to be donated so we can build a new multi-purpose centre for all these animals. The purpose of today's family event is to raise awareness of the situation as well as funds. At the moment I spend around Dh10,000 a month on pet food. I have not bought any of these animals; they have all been rescued."

Aisha looks after dozens of different animals including gazelles, iguanas and prairie dogs. Along with her team of volunteers she plans to open a rescue centre in Dubai encompassing a special children's educational facility.

The issue of exotic animals being kept as pets was raised after a Gulf News undercover investigation. The report revealed a range of exotic animals were available at the Sharjah Bird and Animal Market. A baby Nile crocodile was purchased. On Tuesday, it was handed to Dubai Zoo.

Get involved

For more information on how you can help or donate, visit: www.darcuae.com

Is teaching children at an early stage a good preventive measure? Who do you think is to blame for the current illegal animal trade?