Best Animal Shelters Dubai & UAE has – To Rescue, Live and Adopt

Dubai’s bustling cityscape is home to more than just skyscrapers—it’s also home to countless abandoned and stray animals in need of care. Fortunately, animal shelters in Dubai are working tirelessly to rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome these vulnerable pets. Whether you’re looking to adopt a pet in Dubai, foster a rescue, or support shelters through donations, your involvement can make a real difference.

From dog shelters in Dubai to cat rescues, these organizations provide food, medical care, and safe spaces for animals in need. If you’re ready to open your heart and home, here’s a guide to the top animal shelters in Dubai & UAE, where every pet gets a second chance.

11 Best Animal Shelters Dubai

Adopting a pet starts with finding the right shelter. Dubai has several dedicated organizations working tirelessly to rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome animals in need.

38 Smiles

38 Smiles is a non-profit animal rescue Dubai organization, registered under EAWS since 2011. What started as one woman’s effort to feed stray cats has grown into a mission to rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome abandoned animals, both locally and internationally.

Founded by Kremena Ivanova, 38 Smiles is named after the villa where it began. With the motto “Help the strays of today become the pets of tomorrow,” they provide vaccinations, microchipping, and registration for rescued animals. Their Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program helps control the stray population and prevent suffering.

38 Smiles operates through foster homes, providing rescued pets with love, care, and medical support until adoption. Beyond rescue, they focus on animal welfare awareness, community education, and responsible pet ownership. Their mission thrives on donations and volunteers, giving strays a second chance at life.

• Email: info38smiles@gmail.com
• Fees: Varies depending on medical expenses
• Specialties: Cats and dogs
• Volunteers: Help find foster homes, assist with events, transport rescues, and support fundraising. 

Al Mayya K9 Adoptions

Al Mayya K9 Adoptions and Kennels, founded by HRH Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, operates in both Fujairah and the United Kingdom under royal endorsement. With a mission to rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome dogs, this dog shelter Dubai provides a second chance to dogs from all walks of life, including those abandoned or rescued from puppy farms and harsh conditions.

With the support of volunteers, fosters, and donors, the organization provides food, medical care, and shelter, giving every rescue a second chance.  Undoubtedly, the dog rescue Dubai organization works tirelessly to rehabilitate and rehome abandoned dogs and create seamless experiences for puppies for adoption in Dubai. 

• Working Hours: By appointment only
• Contact Number: +971 56 687 2900
• Email: info@almayyak9adoptions.com
• Specialties: Dogs, Cats, Rabbits
• Volunteers: Opportunities available for fostering and event assistance.

Amanda’s Animal Rescue UAE

Amanda’s Animal Rescue Dubai is dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating, and rehoming lost, abandoned, and neglected dogs across the UAE. Operating without a physical shelter, they rely on a network of foster homes to provide temporary care for rescued dogs until permanent homes are found.

The organization actively utilizes social media to connect with potential adopters and raise awareness about responsible pet ownership. They also collaborate with other shelters and establishments to host adoption events. Volunteers can assist with fostering, transportation, and event coordination, while donations help cover food, medical care, and rehabilitation costs.

• Specialties: Dogs
• Volunteers: Opportunities available for fostering, transport, and event assistance

Meow Meow Rescue

Meow Meow Rescue is a Dubai-based, all-volunteer, non-profit organization focused on rescuing, rehabilitating, and rehoming stray and abandoned cats. They provide medical care, vaccinations, and neutering services to ensure the health and well-being of the cats before adoption. Operating primarily through foster homes, they prepare cats for adoption by providing a safe environment. 

This cat rescue Dubai also organizes adoption events and awareness campaigns to promote responsible pet ownership. They have a strict indoor-only policy for adopters to ensure the safety of the cats. Volunteers can help with fostering, cat care, transport, and adoption events.

• Website: meowmeowrescue.com
• Email: contact@meowmeowrescue.com
• Fees: Varies depending on medical costs and relocation expenses
• Specialties: Cats
• Volunteers: Opportunities available for foster care, transport, and event assistance

Easy Adopt Dubai

Easy Adopt Dubai is a platform that simplifies the pet adoption Dubai process across the UAE. They collaborate with various pet shelters Dubai and rescue groups to showcase animals available for adoption, providing detailed profiles and facilitating connections between potential adopters and shelters. 

Their mission is to make pet adoption more accessible by offering a centralized platform where individuals can find and adopt pets in need. Easy Adopt Dubai also works to educate the public on responsible pet ownership. Volunteers can assist with platform management, adoption coordination, and promotional campaigns.

• Phone: +971-547493951
• Email: info@easyadoptdubai.org
• Specialties: Cats and dogs
• Volunteers: Opportunities available for platform management and adoption coordination

K9 Friends

Established in 1989, K9 Friends is a prominent non-profit organization in Dubai dedicated to rescuing and rehoming abandoned and stray dogs. This dog shelter Dubai accommodates approximately 120 dogs, providing them with essential care, including health assessments, vaccinations, microchipping, and neutering for those over six months old. For puppies under six months, adopters are required to sign a neuter agreement to help control the stray dog population. 

K9 Friends relies heavily on community support through volunteering, fostering, donations, and sponsorships. They also collaborate with other animal shelters in Dubai like Amanda’s Animal Rescue UAE to expand their rescue efforts across the country. 

By adopting from K9 Friends, individuals provide these dogs with a second chance at a loving home, contributing to the broader mission of promoting responsible pet ownership in Dubai.

• Working Hours: Monday – Saturday: 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
• Contact Number: +971-4-887-8739 / +971-50 274-1949
• Website: www.k9friends.com
• Email: info@k9friends.com
• Fees: Mixed-breed dog- Dhs 1250, Mixed-breed puppy (12 months or under)- Dhs 1750, Pure/designer-breed dog- Dhs 2250, Pure/designer-breed puppy (12 months or under) – Dhs 2950.
• Specialties: Dogs and puppies
• Volunteers: Adults over 21 for at least 6 months, students for credit hours, Dog walking- over 14 years with an adult.

Nine Lives

Nine Lives is a volunteer-run, foster-based cat rescue and adoption service operating in Dubai since early 2022. They have grown to become the largest cat adoption service in the UAE, with over 100 loving, healthy rescued cats and kittens available for adoption.

All cats are vet-checked, vaccinated, microchipped, dewormed, tested for FeLV/FIV/FCoV, and neutered/spayed. Kittens come with neutering/spaying credit and special requirements. Nine Lives also offers professional pet relocation services, including import/export and pet transport within the UAE. 

• Contact Number: +971 56 351 1057
• Website: www.ninelives.ae
• Email: adoptions@ninelives.ae
• Specialties: Cats and kittens
• Volunteers: Opportunities available for fostering and event assistance

Red Paw Foundation

Red Paw Foundation, a volunteer-run non-profit operating under the Emirates Animal Welfare Society (EAWS) in Dubai, is fully registered with the UAE government and dedicated to animal welfare through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Primarily a cat shelter, the foundation rescues abused and injured cats and dogs across the UAE, providing them with essential medical care, including vaccinations, microchipping, and neutering.

A key initiative is their Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program, which humanely manages the stray cat population by ensuring felines are sterilized and released into safe environments. Beyond rescue efforts, Red Paw Foundation actively raises awareness about animal welfare through adoption events, webinars, and social media outreach, connecting animals with loving homes.

With the support of dedicated volunteers and partners, this animal rescue in Dubai remains committed to rehabilitating, protecting, and rehoming animals, making a lasting impact on their well-being.

Contact Number: +971 56 135 6252
Email: contact@redpawfoundation.org
Specialties: Cats and dogs
Volunteers: Opportunities available for fostering, transportation, and event coordination

Waggy Bond

Waggy Bond is a Dubai-based dog rescue in Dubai focused on saving and rehoming stray and abandoned dogs. They provide medical care, vaccinations, and rehabilitation to ensure the well-being of their rescuers. Through a network of foster homes and adoption events, Waggy Bond works diligently to match dogs with loving families, promoting responsible pet ownership in the community.

Specialties: Dogs
Volunteers: Opportunities available for fostering, transportation, and event coordination

The Mussafah Dog Project

The Mussafah Dog Project (MDP) is a dedicated initiative focused on improving the lives of stray animals in Abu Dhabi’s industrial zone. Driven by a small but passionate team of volunteers, MDP provides essential support by feeding hungry strays, offering medical care to injured animals, and ensuring they have shelter and protection.

A key part of their mission is controlling the stray population through a humane trap-neuter-return (TNR) program. With a committed group of 10-15 volunteers—many of whom are pet owners—MDP has set up around 20 feeding stations, sustaining hundreds of stray dogs and cats. Their work depends on community support, including donations and foster care, to continue making a difference.

Thanks to their dedication, countless rescued animals have found loving homes both locally and internationally. MDP encourages animal lovers to get involved through social media outreach, volunteering, and fostering opportunities, helping to create a safer, more compassionate environment for Abu Dhabi’s strays.

Specialties: Dogs
Volunteers: Opportunities available for feeding, medical assistance, and fostering

Yanni Animal Welfare

Yanni Animal Welfare is the first non-profit animal shelter in the UAE registered under the government of Dubai, dedicated to animal rescue and welfare. They provide crucial services such as media exposure, educational lectures at schools, universities, and labor camps, as well as animal care advisory and rights consultations. 

Supported by a diverse group of volunteers united by their love for animals, the organization excels in promoting animal welfare and finding permanent homes for rescued pets. They focus on helping injured, stray, and abandoned animals, fostering them until they can be rehomed. 

Yanni Animal Welfare runs awareness campaigns to educate the public on responsible animal care and encourages people to volunteer in their initiatives. Adopting from Yanni gives animals a second chance at happiness and makes a meaningful difference. Their efforts not only rescue and rehabilitate cats and dogs but also raise awareness about the importance of animal care within the community.

Working Hours: Sunday – Thursday: 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Contact Number: +971 4 242 0660
Email: info@yawdubai.com
Website: yawdubai.com
Specialties: Dogs, Birds, Cats

Volunteers: Organize and manage rescue efforts, Provide regular nourishment to strays, Trap pets for vaccination and neutering,  Drive pets to vet visits and fosters, Offer temporary homes and care, Ensure exercise and enrichment, connect pets with families.

Now that you know where to find the best animal shelters in Dubai, let’s explore how you can support them.

How to Adopt a Pet from an Animal Shelter in Dubai?

If you’re looking for puppies for adoption in Dubai, visit a trusted dog shelter in Dubai to complete the necessary adoption process. Fill out an adoption form, meet the pet, and complete the screening process. Adoption fees typically cover vaccinations, microchipping, and medical care. Some shelters also offer trial adoptions to ensure a perfect match.

Do Animal Shelters in Dubai Charge Adoption Fees?

Yes, most animal shelters in Dubai charge an adoption fee to cover vaccinations, microchipping, spaying/neutering, and medical care. Fees vary by pet shelter in Dubai and the type of pet. Some shelters offer discounts or special adoption events. Contact your chosen shelter for details on adoption costs and requirements.

How Can You Support Animal Shelters in Dubai and the UAE?

You can support animal shelters in Dubai and the UAE by adopting, fostering, donating funds or supplies, volunteering, or sponsoring medical treatments. Many shelters also need help with transportation, event assistance, and social media awareness. Every contribution helps provide care and find loving homes for rescued animals.

Wrap-Up

Animal shelters across Dubai and the UAE play a crucial role in rescuing, rehabilitating, and rehoming abandoned pets. Their efforts not only give these animals a new lease on life but also help create a more compassionate pet-friendly community. Whether you choose to adopt, foster, volunteer, or donate, your support makes a lasting impact.

If you’re considering pet adoption in Dubai, explore the trusted animal shelters listed above and take the first step toward giving a rescue pet the loving home they deserve.