Stray cats, dogs on the rise in capital

ABU DHABI — The capital is witnessing an increase in the number of stray cats and dogs due to the fact that pet owners cannot afford to leave their animals in boarding centres when they go on holidays.

by

Silvia Radan

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Published: Thu 31 Aug 2006, 9:08 AM

Last updated: Sat 4 Apr 2015, 6:22 PM

Last week alone, the American Veterinary Clinic (AVC) in Abu Dhabi found three dogs left out on the streets. “This is really a serious problem, since we can't care for more than 3-5 stray dogs and as far as we know there is no other establishment here that accommodates canines," said Lissie Conroy, AVC manager. She told Khaleej Times that there is a similar situation for cats, although felines also receive help from the British Veterinary Centre (BVC) and Feline Friends charity.

Pet keeping in UAE is becoming increasingly popular, especially among expatriates. Many foreigners, who come to work here, even for a year, bring their beloved cat or dog with them, but the costs make the hobby quite a luxurious one.

One of the biggest cost pet owners face is boarding. During their holidays, people tend to leave their cats and dogs behind, since it is both costly and traumatic for cats and dogs to travel, especially long distances. Normally, most people try to leave their pets with a friend or a neighbour, but this is not easy here, since very few individuals or families could take an animal in their home or have the time to spend a few hours daily with a cat or a dog. That is why, veterinary clinics have started to offer board services to pet owners, but they are few and far between and mainly available in Dubai or Abu Dhabi.

In the capital, there are a few places for cat boarding, but only AVC is offering dog accommodation. The charges start at Dh40 per day, for a small dog under 10kg and go as high as Dh90 per day for a large, over 40kg dog. For feline housing there are two different fees — Dh40 per day for a long hair cat, while a short hair cat is only charged Dh35 daily. For these money, the cats and dogs will get a cage of their own, food, and basic care.

BVC only offers cat boarding, at competitive prices. Daily fees are Dh38 for the long hair felines and Dh33 for the short hair ones. In addition, it also charges Dh 52 for an anti flee treatment, required for the cat's admission into the centre.

BVC offers a discount though for cage sharing. If an owner brings two cats that are used to each other, they could stay in the same cage, for a Dh58 per day. Kim Dumas, AVC health technician, mentioned that at the beginning of this summer there were 15-20 dogs on a waiting list for boarding. “We can take in up to 40 cats and 48 dogs and we really can't overbook our cages,” she revealed. Either because they have no choice or not enough money, owners end up leaving their pets on the streets.


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