Dubai's New Animal Welfare Shelter Opens in Warsan — What UAE Pet Lovers Should Know

Dubai launches a new Animal Welfare Shelter

Dubai's commitment to responsible pet ownership just got a major boost. Dubai Municipality has opened a brand-new integrated Animal Welfare Shelter at the Birds and Pets Market in Warsan — expanding the emirate's veterinary services, promoting pet adoption, and giving stray and abandoned animals a real chance at a loving home.

A safe haven for animals in Warsan

Located at the Birds and Pets Market in the Warsan area, the new shelter is designed to provide a safe, humane environment for stray and abandoned animals. It offers integrated care built on internationally recognised veterinary and animal welfare standards, plus rehabilitation programmes that prepare animals for adoption into suitable homes where they can live safely and healthily.

The initiative supports Dubai's Steering Committee for Preserving the Emirate's Urban Appearance, encouraging humane treatment of animals and responsible civic behaviour — reinforcing Dubai's reputation as one of the world's most liveable cities.

What's inside the shelter

The facility features a wide range of amenities built to international animal welfare standards:

• Customer service centre for enquiries and adoption support
• Pre-adoption viewing area where visitors can browse available pets
• Interactive adoption rooms to meet potential family members
• Fully equipped veterinary clinic for on-site medical care
• Advanced surgical theatre
• Grooming unit
• Reception and rehabilitation centre for stray and abandoned animals
• Lost pet reunion centre — helping owners recover missing pets after ID verification

A new online adoption platform

Alongside the shelter's opening, Dubai Municipality has launched a dedicated online adoption platform. Prospective adopters can browse available animals from home, check each pet's health and behavioural profile, and make an informed decision before visiting in person — a huge step forward for the adoption process in the UAE.

Partnerships with local vets

To strengthen animal health services, Dubai Municipality has signed cooperation agreements with two well-known UAE veterinary providers:

• Vets for Pets Veterinary Clinic
• Phoenix Veterinary Clinic

The partnerships aim to build a humanitarian model for animal care that combines the best scientific practices with digital innovation — and with values of compassion rooted in Emirati heritage and Islamic teachings.

These agreements cover treatment of stray and abandoned pets suffering injuries or serious illness, humane management programmes for community animals, public awareness campaigns on responsible pet ownership, and knowledge-sharing between government, academic institutions, veterinary specialists, businesses and community organisations.

TNR and TNVR: humane stray management

Dubai Municipality continues its science-led approach to stray population control through Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) and Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return (TNVR) programmes. Stray cats are safely trapped, sterilised, vaccinated, and returned to their original locations — provided they pose no risk to public safety.

Building on Dubai's animal welfare journey

The Animal Welfare Shelter is the latest step in Dubai's growing commitment to animal welfare. Earlier this year, the emirate launched the region's first AI-powered "Ihsan" feeding stations for stray and abandoned animals — part of a wider effort to promote compassion, animal welfare and environmental sustainability across the emirate.

What this means for UAE pet lovers

If you've been thinking about welcoming a pet into your home, the new Warsan shelter makes adoption easier and more transparent than ever. Browse available animals online, meet them in the interactive adoption rooms in person, and give a rescue pet a second chance at a loving family life.

Once your new companion comes home, we're here for the journey — from quality food and everyday essentials to expert care advice. Adopting a rescue is one of the most rewarding things you will ever do.