Dina Taji offers a lifeline for stray cats

Dina Taji’s day starts like that of any other health and fitness coach — guiding clients, planning workouts, and keeping up with her training. But between meal plans and muscle-building routines, she’s also on a mission far removed from the gym: rescuing and rehabilitating the UAE’s ever-growing population of stray cats.

What began with a simple act of feeding a few hungry felines outside supermarkets has grown into a full-scale operation. “Cycling around Dubai, I saw so many stray cats, some starving, others injured or sick,” she says. “I started leaving food along my route, and every day, more cats appeared. Their suffering was impossible to ignore.”

Taji’s relentless commitment to rescuing strays took on new momentum when she met a like-minded partner through social media. “She reached out and said, ‘I want to do this with you.’ That changed everything. Without her, we could never have scaled up to where we are today,” she explains. The duo now runs a shelter housing more than 450 cats in a seven-bedroom villa, with over 1,000 rescues this year alone. They’ve built a system to tackle everything from malnutrition to serious illnesses like FeLV and parvo, creating a space where every cat has a chance to heal.

But running a shelter isn’t just about cuddling kittens. Vet bills, food, and medicine costs are overwhelming. “Our dream is bigger than today,” Taji says. “We want to build a state-of-the-art shelter, a model others can replicate, so we can tackle the stray crisis at its roots.”

The UAE’s stray cat problem isn’t just a matter of bad luck, it’s a direct result of irresponsible pet ownership. “Expats leave the country and abandon their pets. People don’t spay or neuter their cats, and breeders discard animals when they’re no longer profitable,” Taji says. Even pet owners who love their cats contribute to the crisis by allowing them to roam unsupervised. “Many don’t microchip their pets or register them, so when their cats go missing, there’s no way to find them,” she says.

The solution? Simple, but often ignored. “Spay, neuter, microchip, and treat your pet as part of the family. Education is key, small steps by individuals can make a massive difference in reducing the number of strays.”

Taji has seen some of the worst cases of neglect and cruelty — kittens paralysed after being hit by cars, blind cats struggling to survive in industrial areas, and animals subjected to horrifying abuse. “I’ve found cats tied up with ropes around their arms and necks, burned, or with their tails cut off,” she reveals.

To those considering abandoning their pets, she has one clear message: “You don’t have to rescue hundreds of cats to make a difference. Just changing the life of one cat matters. Leave food outside your home, foster a cat until it finds a family, or help an injured cat get medical care. Even if you can’t donate, you can share posts online to connect rescuers with adopters.

Small actions create a ripple effect that saves lives.” And most importantly, she urges people to adopt instead of buy. “The breeding industry fuels this crisis. Every time you buy an animal, you take away a chance for a stray to find a home.”

Despite her growing animal welfare mission, Taji still maintains a busy career. “I work full-time as an online health and fitness coach, speak at corporate seminars, and take care of my ten cats at home,” she says. “The shelter is separate, but it’s a massive part of my day. I’m constantly checking cameras, coordinating with vets, fosters, and adopters, and managing medical reports.”

Social media also plays a huge role in her work. “I spend a lot of time editing videos to raise awareness and help our rescues get adopted,” she explains. “It’s a full-time job on its own, but without it, finding reliable homes would be even harder.”

The biggest challenge? Juggling all at once. “Tracking every cat’s health, coordinating adoptions, and balancing my own career, it’s a lot. But knowing that each effort saves a life keeps me going.”

With limited resources, the shelter has developed rigorous health protocols. “Every cat we take in is tested for FeLV, FIV, parvo, calicivirus, and mycoplasma. We also do full bloodwork to understand their health before admitting them,” Taji explains. The cats then move through carefully monitored recovery rooms before being vaccinated, spayed, and introduced to the rest of the shelter.

Medical care is costly, and covering expenses is an ongoing struggle. “That’s why I’m launching my fitness app next month — any profits will go directly to our rescue work,” she says. “For anyone signing up for my coaching, it’s not just about getting fit — it’s about training with a purpose. You’re improving your health and saving a cat’s life at the same time.”

Taji believes the mindset around pet ownership needs to shift. “Owning a pet is a lifelong commitment,” she stresses. “People need to understand that animals aren’t disposable. They require care, medical attention, and a stable home.”

She sees education as the most powerful tool for change. “Schools, communities, and social media all play a huge role in shaping attitudes. If we teach people to value animals, we can create a culture where abandoning pets is simply unacceptable.”

While the challenges remain huge, Taji and her team are determined to change the future for UAE’s strays. “So far, we’ve rescued over 1,000 cats this year alone. Every day, we learn and evolve, and we hope to share this knowledge with others.”

The ultimate goal? To build a shelter that sets a new standard, one that serves as a model for others to replicate. “With collective effort, we can build a future where no cat is left to suffer,” Taji says. “This isn’t just about rescue; it’s about rewriting the story for every abandoned cat in the UAE.”