A volunteer goes on a walk with one of the dogs. All photos: Ruel Pableo / The National
A volunteer goes on a walk with one of the dogs. All photos: Ruel Pableo / The National
The Stray Dog Centre UAQ houses more than 870 dogs with many up for adoption.
The Stray Dog Centre UAQ houses more than 870 dogs with many up for adoption.
The Stray Dogs Centre UAQ opened in 2014 after the ruler of Umm Al Quwain gifted land to New Zealander Amirah William.
The Stray Dogs Centre UAQ opened in 2014 after the ruler of Umm Al Quwain gifted land to New Zealander Amirah William.
The centre houses dogs in kennels together based on their temperament.
The centre houses dogs in kennels together based on their temperament.
A dog with her litter rescued at the Stray Dog Centre.
A dog with her litter rescued at the Stray Dog Centre.
Many of the dogs rescued have been previously abandoned or abused. Ruel Pableo for The National
Many of the dogs rescued have been previously abandoned or abused. Ruel Pableo for The National
The Stray Dogs Centre UAQ.
The Stray Dogs Centre UAQ.
Marz Roberts bottle feeds a four-week-old stray puppy at the Stray Dog Centre.
Marz Roberts bottle feeds a four-week-old stray puppy at the Stray Dog Centre.
Dog food can cost thousands of dirhams per month depending on how many dogs they have.
Dog food can cost thousands of dirhams per month depending on how many dogs they have.
The site uses diesel to fuel their generators which cost around Dh1,100 a week.
The site uses diesel to fuel their generators which cost around Dh1,100 a week.
Activities at the centre are free but donations are always welcomed.
Activities at the centre are free but donations are always welcomed.
Volunteers come to walk the dogs at the Stray Dog Centre.
Volunteers come to walk the dogs at the Stray Dog Centre.
Te Tapua Roberts from the centre walks the dogs at the Stray Dog Centre.
Te Tapua Roberts from the centre walks the dogs at the Stray Dog Centre.
Volunteers come by to walk the dogs at the Stray Dog Center in Umm Al Quwain.
Volunteers come by to walk the dogs at the Stray Dog Center in Umm Al Quwain.
In the past, the centre was also granted more land to expand.
In the past, the centre was also granted more land to expand.
The centre hopes that one day they can be more self-sufficient.
The centre hopes that one day they can be more self-sufficient.
Leashes for dogs when they go for walks.
Leashes for dogs when they go for walks.
The centre has the support of Sheikh Saud bin Rashid Al Mualla, the Ruler of Umm Al Quwain.
The centre has the support of Sheikh Saud bin Rashid Al Mualla, the Ruler of Umm Al Quwain.
There are hopes that Umm Al Quwain can become the first completely street dog-free emirate.
There are hopes that Umm Al Quwain can become the first completely street dog-free emirate.

UAE

Stray Dogs Centre in Umm Al Quwain saved from eviction after local government helps

Founder of animal shelter thanks authorities for intervening for a second time

Salam Al Amir
Salam Al Amir

September 17, 2022

  • English
  • Arabic

The UAE’s largest private dog rescue shelter has been saved from eviction after the local government stepped in to help.

Representatives of the Stray Dogs Centre in Umm Al Quwain, which houses more than 870 dogs, four donkeys and 15 cats, were relieved to receive the good news.

Amirah William, founder of the Stray Dogs Centre, on Friday made an emotional appeal on Facebook to save the centre, which opened in 2013.

It has been such a heavy burden to carry this past two weeks and I am relieved that the burden has now been lifted
Amirah William,
founder of the Stray Dogs Centre

She said they were given two weeks' notice to leave.

“After the initial shock, the next thing was what are we going to do, because it's impossible for us to just pick up and move the shelter in two weeks,” Ms William said in the video she shared on social media.

“Our first shelter opened in 2013 in a villa housing 150 dogs, and in a few months we received an eviction notice from the municipality.”

But in 2014, the centre relocated to a new building on a plot granted by the Ruler of Umm Al Quwain who called off the eviction at that time.

“Millions of dirhams in public support built the current shelter and enabled it to operate,” the founder said.

“When we first came here it was just desert, there was absolutely nothing so we went about devising a plan and looked at what needed to be done and gained support to start levelling the land."

She said many volunteers helped to build the foundation of the shelter that later struck an agreement to care for dogs captured by the municipality.

"We also rescue critical cases and emergency cases from other emirates and in just one year we received 380 dogs from the municipality."

In her appeal, Ms William had said she did not know what the centre would do.

"I carry the burden of all the animals that we have saved on my back," she said.

But only hours after posting the appeal, she wrote on the centre's Facebook page that she received a call from the municipality's director general to say the eviction had been called off again.

Ms William said she was told the centre is safe now and in the future.

“It has been such a heavy burden to carry this past two weeks and I am relieved that the burden has now been lifted," she said.

"Thank you to the Umm Al Quwain Municipality and the [ruling family] for recognising and validating the work that Stray Dogs Centre does in the community.”

The centre, which has a "no kill" policy, was established by a group of residents concerned about the welfare of stray dogs in Umm Al Quwain.

It has rescued thousands of dogs, of which many have been placed in new homes.

Dogs for adoption in Dubai - in pictures

Juna, female, 10 years old. All photos: K9 Friends
Juna, female, 10 years old. All photos: K9 Friends
Marmite, female, 5 years old.
Marmite, female, 5 years old.
Stilton, male, 1 year old.
Stilton, male, 1 year old.
Rainbow, female, 4 years old.
Rainbow, female, 4 years old.
Brie, female, 1.5 years old.
Brie, female, 1.5 years old.
Griffin, male, 6 years old.
Griffin, male, 6 years old.
Yarra, female, 5 years old.
Yarra, female, 5 years old.
Maximus, male, 2 years old.
Maximus, male, 2 years old.
Adora, female, 2 years old.
Adora, female, 2 years old.
Logan, male, 1.5 years old.
Logan, male, 1.5 years old.
Evergreen, female, 3 years old.
Evergreen, female, 3 years old.
Bloomer, female, 2 years old.
Bloomer, female, 2 years old.
Hamilton, male, 1.5 years old.
Hamilton, male, 1.5 years old.
Daphne, female, 1 year old.
Daphne, female, 1 year old.
F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

If you go:

 

Getting there:

Flying to Guyana requires first reaching New York with either Emirates or Etihad, then connecting with JetBlue or Caribbean Air at JFK airport. Prices start from around Dh7,000.

 

Getting around:

Wildlife Worldwide offers a range of Guyana itineraries, such as its small group tour, the 15-day ‘Ultimate Guyana Nature Experience’ which features Georgetown, the Iwokrama Rainforest (one of the world’s four remaining pristine tropical rainforests left in the world), the Amerindian village of Surama and the Rupununi Savannah, known for its giant anteaters and river otters; wildlifeworldwide.com

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid

TRAP

Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue

Director: M Night Shyamalan

Rating: 3/5

SPEC SHEET

Display: 6.8" edge quad-HD  dynamic Amoled 2X, Infinity-O, 3088 x 1440, 500ppi, HDR10 , 120Hz

Processor: 4nm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1/Exynos 2200, 8-core

Memory: 8/12GB RAM

Storage: 128/256/512GB/1TB

Platform: Android 12

Main camera: quad 12MP ultra-wide f/2.2, 108MP wide f/1.8, 10MP telephoto f/4.9, 10MP telephoto 2.4; Space Zoom up to 100x, auto HDR, expert RAW

Video: 8K@24fps, 4K@60fps, full-HD@60fps, HD@30fps, super slo-mo@960fps

Front camera: 40MP f/2.2

Battery: 5000mAh, fast wireless charging 2.0 Wireless PowerShare

Connectivity: 5G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC

I/O: USB-C

SIM: single nano, or nano and SIM, nano and nano, eSIM/nano and nano

Colours: burgundy, green, phantom black, phantom white, graphite, sky blue, red

Price: Dh4,699 for 128GB, Dh5,099 for 256GB, Dh5,499 for 512GB; 1TB unavailable in the UAE

Book%20Details
%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3EThree%20Centuries%20of%20Travel%20Writing%20by%20Muslim%20Women%3C%2Fem%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EEditors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESiobhan%20Lambert-Hurley%2C%20Daniel%20Majchrowicz%2C%20Sunil%20Sharma%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EIndiana%20University%20Press%3B%20532%20pages%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Where to buy art books in the UAE

There are a number of speciality art bookshops in the UAE.

In Dubai, The Lighthouse at Dubai Design District has a wonderfully curated selection of art and design books. Alserkal Avenue runs a pop-up shop at their A4 space, and host the art-book fair Fully Booked during Art Week in March. The Third Line, also in Alserkal Avenue, has a strong book-publishing arm and sells copies at its gallery. Kinokuniya, at Dubai Mall, has some good offerings within its broad selection, and you never know what you will find at the House of Prose in Jumeirah. Finally, all of Gulf Photo Plus’s photo books are available for sale at their show. 

In Abu Dhabi, Louvre Abu Dhabi has a beautiful selection of catalogues and art books, and Magrudy’s – across the Emirates, but particularly at their NYU Abu Dhabi site – has a great selection in art, fiction and cultural theory.

In Sharjah, the Sharjah Art Museum sells catalogues and art books at its museum shop, and the Sharjah Art Foundation has a bookshop that offers reads on art, theory and cultural history.

Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere

Director: Scott Cooper

Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong

Rating: 4/5

Updated: September 17, 2022, 11:54 AM
UAEAnimalsUmm Al Quwain