Dubai unveils new shelter and online platform for pet adoption
Modern facility offers veterinary care, rehabilitation and family matching services
DUBAI – Dubai Municipality has opened a new integrated pet shelter at the Birds and Pets Market in Warsan, marking a major step in strengthening veterinary services and advancing animal welfare across the emirate.
Alongside the new facility, the Municipality has also launched a dedicated digital platform designed to make pet adoption easier and more accessible. The initiative supports responsible pet ownership while promoting compassion and humane care for stray and loose companion animals in line with Dubai's vision for a progressive urban environment.
The shelter provides a safe and humane space for stray and loose companion animals, ensuring they receive comprehensive veterinary care before being matched with suitable adoptive families. The project also supports the objectives of the Dubai Civility Committee by encouraging positive community behaviour, enhancing the city's urban landscape and reinforcing humanitarian values that contribute to residents' and visitors' quality of life.
Care network
To strengthen the initiative, Dubai Municipality has signed memoranda of understanding with Vets Fur Pets Veterinary Clinic and Phoenix Veterinary Clinic. The partnerships focus on improving animal healthcare by applying international best practices, embracing digital solutions and promoting compassion rooted in the UAE's heritage and Islamic principles.
أعلنت #بلدية_دبي عن افتتاح مأوى جديد ومتكامل للحيوانات الأليفة ضمن سوق الطيور والحيوانات الأليفة في منطقة ورسان والذي يعكس التزام البلدية المستمر بتعزيز قيم الرحمة ومبادئ ومفاهيم الرفق بالحيوان وجعلها جزء من ثقافة المجتمع الداعمة للمشهد الحضاري والإنساني الذي يميز مجتمع دبي. pic.twitter.com/lgFISHHzOx
— بلدية دبي | Dubai Municipality (@DMunicipality) July 26, 2026
The agreements create a collaborative framework for treating injured and seriously ill stray and loose companion animals, helping stabilise and rehabilitate them before they are rehomed or returned where appropriate. They also support humane management of community animal populations through Trap-Neuter-Return programmes for stray cats, as well as treatment and care programmes for stray dogs and cats.
The cooperation extends to public awareness campaigns, educational activities, training workshops and knowledge-sharing with government entities, academic institutions, veterinary professionals, private organisations and volunteers.
Digital adoption
The newly launched digital adoption platform enables prospective adopters to browse animals available for adoption while reviewing their health and behavioural profiles. By providing detailed information before adoption, the platform helps users make informed decisions based on the specific needs of each animal.
The shelter itself has been designed according to international animal welfare standards and features a Customer Happiness Centre, a pre-adoption viewing area and interactive adoption rooms where families can meet animals before completing the process.
Modern facilities
Additional facilities include a fully equipped veterinary clinic, a state-of-the-art surgical operating theatre fitted with advanced veterinary technologies and a dedicated pet grooming unit. The shelter also houses a reception and rehabilitation area for rescued animals, along with a specialised centre that reunites lost pets with their owners after verifying identification and ownership details.
Dr Naseem Mohammed Rafei, Acting CEO of the Environment, Health and Safety Agency at Dubai Municipality, said the new shelter strengthens the Municipality's public health and veterinary services while supporting the "One Health" approach, which recognises the close relationship between human, animal and environmental health. He added that the initiative encourages responsible pet adoption and reinforces compassion and civic responsibility as part of Dubai's ambition to become the world's best city to live in.
Dubai Municipality continues to follow internationally recognised scientific and humane methods for managing stray and loose companion animals through Trap-Neuter-Return and, where appropriate, Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return programmes. Earlier this year, it also introduced the region's first Ihsan smart feeding stations, deploying 12 AI-powered feeding units across Dubai to support animal welfare, environmental sustainability and responsible community behaviour.