Barely two weeks after opening its doors, Dubai’s newest animal shelter is already running well ahead of expectations — in the best possible way.
Dubai Municipality’s Animal Welfare Shelter in Warsan, which opened on July 26 at the Birds and Pets Market, has found homes for 85 cats in just its first 10 days of operation. According to Dr Asma Bulshawareb, Senior Veterinarian at Dubai Municipality, the facility has received hundreds of enquiries from residents eager to adopt rescued animals since it opened.
A Shelter Built for More Than Just Housing Animals
The Warsan facility marks Dubai Municipality’s second dedicated adoption centre, joining its existing shelter at the Al Khawaneej Veterinary Clinic. Unlike a purely holding facility, the new centre combines veterinary treatment, rehabilitation, grooming, and adoption services within a single, purpose-built environment.
Currently, the shelter is home to nearly 100 cats at any given time, being cared for, rehabilitated, and prepared for adoption. Dogs, for now, continue to be accommodated at the municipality’s original Al Khawaneej shelter, though officials say plans are already underway to eventually house both species together at a larger facility.
Tackling Abandonment at Its Source
Beyond adoption numbers, the shelter’s leadership has been candid about the deeper problem driving its work. “One of the main issues we are trying to address is animal abandonment,” said Dr Aysha Bin Ghelaita, Senior Veterinary Doctor at Dubai Municipality, during a tour of the facility. “Unfortunately, there are cases where people dump their pets instead of finding them a new home.”
That framing positions the Warsan shelter as more than a rehoming centre — it’s also intended to function as a hub for community education and awareness, aimed at reducing the abandonment cases that keep feeding the city’s stray population in the first place.
Backed by Veterinary Partnerships
To strengthen the medical side of its operations, Dubai Municipality signed memoranda of understanding with Vets Fur Pets Veterinary Clinic and Phoenix Veterinary Clinic. These partnerships focus specifically on treating and rehabilitating stray and loose companion animals suffering from injuries or serious illness, helping stabilise their condition before they’re considered ready for adoption.
The collaborations also extend into public awareness programmes centered on responsible pet ownership, drawing on international best practices and digital tools to strengthen animal care standards across the city.
A Digital Push to Match the Physical Expansion
Alongside the shelter’s opening, Dubai Municipality also launched a dedicated digital adoption platform, allowing prospective adopters to browse available animals along with detailed health and behavioural profiles before visiting in person. Given the volume of enquiries the shelter has already fielded in just its first ten days, that digital layer looks set to play an increasingly important role in managing adopter interest at scale.
Part of a Bigger, City-Wide Strategy
The Warsan shelter also supports Dubai’s ongoing Trap-Neuter-Return programme, part of a broader, scientifically grounded approach to managing the emirate’s stray cat and dog population without resorting to culling. It further aligns with the objectives of Dubai’s Steering Committee for Preserving the Emirate’s Urban Appearance, treating stray animal management as both a welfare issue and a component of maintaining safe, well-kept public spaces.
Dr Naseem Mohammed Rafie, Acting CEO of the Environment, Health and Safety Agency at Dubai Municipality, tied the shelter’s mission to a broader “One Health” philosophy. “The shelter supports the One Health concept by promoting the balance between human, animal and environmental health, while reinforcing animal welfare principles, responsible pet adoption and care as part of the community’s culture,” she said.
What This Early Momentum Signals
For a shelter barely a month old, finding homes for 85 cats within its first 10 days is a strong early indicator of genuine community appetite for adoption over other, less humane ways of managing stray populations. With hundreds of additional enquiries still coming in and expansion plans already on the table to eventually accommodate dogs at the same site, the Warsan shelter looks positioned to become a central pillar of Dubai’s animal welfare infrastructure in the months ahead.
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