For individuals seeking a companion animal, Dubai Municipality offers opportunities to adopt pets from its various shelters across the UAE. These shelters provide a crucial second chance for stray and abandoned animals to find a permanent, loving home.
In July, the Municipality inaugurated a new integrated shelter located at the Birds and Pets Market in Warsan. This facility is designed to offer animals a secure environment for recovery and care. Additionally, Dubai Municipality maintains another shelter at Al Khawaneej, which specifically caters to dogs and facilitates their adoption.
These shelters are central to the Municipality's commitment to promoting responsible pet ownership and animal welfare. Before any pet is matched with a family, it receives thorough veterinary attention.
When contacted by Khaleej Times, the Municipality detailed the origins of the animals, the care involved, and the step-by-step adoption procedure.
Animals such as cats and dogs in the Dubai Municipality shelters include strays, abandoned, as well as rescued, lost, or surrendered pets. These animals arrive through the Dubai Municipality Veterinary Control Department and private pest control companies approved and authorized by the Municipality under the TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) stray cat management program.
Currently, the officially mentioned adoption facilities include the Animal Protection Shelter in Warsan, which houses cats, and the existing clinic at Al Khawaneej Veterinary Clinic, which houses dogs. The Dubai Municipality pet adoption service covers both cats and dogs. In addition to managing these shelters, the Veterinary Service provides preventive and curative livestock health services, as well as preventative pet care services.
The new Animal Protection Shelter in Warsan is equipped with a Customer Joy Center, pre-viewing areas for potential owners, interactive adoption rooms, a fully equipped veterinary clinic for in-shelter animal care, an advanced operating room, grooming facilities, and reception and rehabilitation areas for stray animals. Furthermore, there is a place for reuniting lost pets with their owners after verification.
Not all animals under the Municipality's care are automatically available for adoption. They first undergo medical and behavioral assessment. Some animals may require treatment or rehabilitation, and lost pets may be reunited with their owners. Stray cats are managed through the TNR or TNVR (Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return) program and returned to their natural habitat. Animals suitable for rehoming become available for adoption.
Applications can be submitted digitally through the Dubai Municipality website or via the Dubai Now application. Applicants can view available animals and review information about their health and behavior before applying. The final procedure includes a personal assessment and receiving the chosen animal after paying established fees for associated services, such as vaccination and registration.
Applicants are required to fill out information and meet identification requirements specified by the adoption service. A final check is conducted as part of the adoption process, and the applicant must appear in person to receive the animal. Specific confirmation requirements are provided through the service application depending on the applicant's data.
Ensuring responsible pet ownership is an important part of the adoption process. Applicants must be at least 21 years old and must not have registered violations related to cruelty or abuse of animals. Potential adopters are also assessed based on their understanding of animal welfare, veterinary care, nutrition, and ability to provide a suitable environment and long-term care for the adopted animal.
There is no adoption fee itself. However, established fees for accompanying veterinary services, such as registration and vaccination, must be paid as part of the adoption process to complete preventive health and registration procedures before the animal is handed over.
A pet adoption application will be processed in approximately one hour after completing the necessary steps. The actual handover may depend on the completion of compliance checks, assessment, visit arrangement, and the animal's readiness for adoption. Receiving the pet can be arranged within two working days after fulfilling all requirements.
Animals undergo a veterinary assessment before being made available for adoption. Services provided may include health screening, necessary treatment, vaccination, deworming, microchipping, surgical sterilization, and rehabilitation. Their health and behavioral profiles are also assessed to help match them with suitable adopters. The shelter is supported by an integrated veterinary clinic and surgical facilities.
The adoption program is based on the principle of responsible and long-term animal ownership, so applicants undergo an assessment before a decision is made. Any issues arising after adoption should be coordinated directly with the Animal Protection Shelter for evaluation and recommendations. Returning an adopted animal is not considered automatic surrender but is evaluated individually according to circumstances, approved procedures, and shelter capacity.
The Municipality's shelters are primarily intended for stray, abandoned, and rescued companions, and they do not function as a general drop-off point for private pets. Pet owners remain responsible for their pets and must seek alternative methods of responsible redistribution if they can no longer care for them.
Rescuers should avoid independently delivering animals to the shelter for surrender without prior coordination. Cases involving stray, injured, or distressed animals must be reported through the approved channels of the Dubai Municipality, including the toll-free number DM 800900, so that the appropriate animal control team can assess the situation and take appropriate action according to approved procedures and available shelter capacity.