Desperately seeking loving homes

Desperately seeking loving homes Dhanusha Gokulan / 23 June 2013 You may or may not be a cat lover but it is very hard to not find Didi adorable. The orange-striped beauty, who was abandoned at a construction site and suffered from a broken paw for several weeks, is in desperate need of a permanent or foster home. Didi is one of a seasonally increasing number of neglected pets, which appeared to be abandoned by owners going abroad over the summer. “Didi is very friendly. She’s great, especially with kids. She was found in Ajman and a few shopkeepers were taking care of her. She had a piece of glass stuck in her paw and it was bent to almost 90 degrees,” said Ludmila Subbota, an animal rights activist with Rosso Carota Rescue Cats (RCRC). Didi was one of the four cats and 14 dogs who were put up for adoption at the second Cats and Dogs Adoption Day at the Zabeel Veterinary Hospital near the World Trade Centre, on Friday. Mixed breeds, salukis, stray cats, and abandoned house pets looking for homes were up for adoption at the hospital. Zabeel veterinary Hospital manager Hawra Al Hashimi said the second adoption day, after the first one in May, had gone well. “Our hospital provides the space, and works closely with a few agencies like Animal Protection Association Dubai (APA); RCRC; and Arabian Saluki Centre of Dubai (Ascod).” The cats and dogs which are up for adoption have been neutered and vaccinated by doctors at the Zabeel Veterinary Hospital. The group of volunteers from APA, RCRC, and Ascod find it very hard to find a safe home for the older dogs as most people prefer pups, particularly pedigree. The experts also suggested that dog owners abandon the pets before they leave for their summer holidays. “The biggest problem is the transient expatriate population. Animal owners are suddenly told that they cannot travel with the cat or dog. But making travel arrangements for their pets are not as expensive as it seems. When flying to Europe, an excess baggage ticket for a pet would cost the owner about 150 to 300 Euros,” said volunteer with Ascod Trine Lund Petersen. Surprisingly, several Salukis’ were up for adoption. “The Saluki breed garners a lot of respect in Arab culture. They are beautiful dogs and it is really surprising to see that people are just abandoning them. Most of them are found close to the outskirts and the desert region. Within the city limits, we sometimes find them in Ajman and Al Khan,” Petersen said. “The voluntary agencies don’t have a lot of funds to treat and protect these animals. Some of the cats and dogs have been micro chipped,  (though) many others have not. The hospital provides them with 50 per cent off on treatment of these animals when they are brought in. After which, we put them up for adoption,” added Al Hashimi. Dr Sana Peera, a Veterinary doctor at the Clinic said: “We provide the agencies with a space and treatment for the cats and dogs. Once we have treated them, it is completely safe to take the animal in. All these cats and dogs need is a loving home.” Before finding a permanent home for the cats and dogs, they are placed in foster care for a period of about two weeks. However, if an adoptee is found for the dog, the agencies run a background check and visit the new owner’s home. “We make them sign several consent forms and we check out their houses before the animals are moved in. We check if the owners are truly serious about keeping the pet. We get them to sign consent forms and there is a clause which states that the pet can be returned to the agency, if the owner cannot manage with it,” said Subbota. She added: “I guess we need to raise more awareness. It would really help if a centralised micro chipping system was to be introduced.” dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com Taylor Scott International