🐶 Adopt a dog – Give a second chance to a life worth loving

Adoption saves lives — and brings unconditional love into yours.

❤️ Why adopt a dog from Stray Dogs Center?

Every year, thousands of dogs are abandoned or left to survive on the streets. We believe every dog deserves a second chance — and a warm, loving home to call their own.

Stray Dogs Center is the largest animal shelter in the UAE and the 4th largest in the world, housing and rehabilitating over 1400 rescue dogs of various breeds, sizes, and personalities. Each dog in our care has a story. Many were abandoned or surrendered by owners. Others rescued from harsh desert conditions or emergency cases. Some brought in by the municipality. All of them are waiting for a family who sees their worth.

Adopting from us means you’re not just getting a dog — you’re saving a life, becoming part of a compassionate community, and helping create a more humane future for animals in the region.

🏡 The adoption process — What to expect

We believe that a successful adoption is built on the right match between dog and adopter. That’s why our adoption process is thorough, transparent, and designed to help both humans and dogs thrive.

Here’s how it works:

1. Apply to adopt

Start by filling our adoption application. Share a bit about your home, family, lifestyle, and what you're looking for in a companion, and upload required documents: your EID/passport, tenancy contract mentioning dogs are allowed or a NOC from your landlord or the title deed if you are a home owner.

2. Meet the dogs

Once we have your details, one of our adoption team members will get in touch. We will select the potential matches for your family and you get to meet the dogs in person, interact with them, and see who you connect with. Our team will be there to guide you and introduce you to the dogs, usually at Bed and Biscuits boarding in DIP2 or possibly even at your home in certain situations. You can also browse our adult dogs + puppies & juniors waiting for their furever afters or come meet some of them at our weekly adoption days at the Petshop megastore in DIP, every Saturday 11am - 1 pm. We post the schedules each week on our Facebook page and Instagram.

3. Trial period

Every adoption starts with a 2 week trial period (1 week for puppies) to see how the dog adjusts to your home and your family to the new life with a dog in it. This ensures everyone is happy – both your family and the doggy. Remember that rescue dogs might need weeks to even months time to adjust to their new home, please be patient with them.

4. Screening & home check

To ensure a safe and stable placement, we conduct a home visit. This isn’t to judge — it’s to help ensure your environment is safe for the dog and that the match is a lasting one.

5. Adoption finalisation

Once you, the doggy and we are all happy, we take care of the formalities and you pay the adoption fee. We complete the adoption agreement and your new family member officially becomes yours. 🐕❤️

What’s included in the adoption

Every dog adopted from Stray Dogs Center is:

• ✅ Vaccinated

• ✅ Microchipped

• ✅ Neutered/Spayed (if too young, we will follow up to have it taken care of at the appropriate age)

• ✅ Health checked

• ✅ Behaviorally assessed by our team

  
  

We’ll also provide:

• 🧾 Pet passport with vaccination records

• 🦮 Leash and collar/harness

• 🛏 Advice on settling your dog in

• 💬 Ongoing support post-adoption

There are no hidden costs — your adoption fee goes directly toward continuing our rescue efforts.

What Stray Dogs Center's adoption fees consist of

🐾 Who can adopt?

We welcome individuals, couples, and families from all walks of life who are committed to responsible pet ownership. You must be over 21, have a stable home environment, and be able to provide time, attention, and care for your dog — not just now, but for the years to come.

We’re happy to guide first-time dog owners and can recommend dogs that match your experience level and energy.

🦴 What kind of dogs are available?

Our shelter is home to a wide variety of dogs, including:

• 🐕 Full breeds including Golden Retrievers, Labradors, German Shepherds etc (we are rehoming Huskies to cooler countries — read about this program!)

• 🐾 Mixed breeds with the best personalities

• 🐶 Puppies and juniors full of energy

• 🧓 Senior dogs looking for a quiet retirement home

• 🐕‍🦺 Special-needs dogs (tripaws, etc.) who are incredibly resilient

  
  

No matter what you’re looking for — a jogging partner, a cuddly couch potato, or a loyal guardian — we’ll help you find your perfect match.

💗 Visit our weekly adoption events

Come meet some of our adult dogs and puppies at our weekly adoption days at the Petshop megastore in DIP, every Saturday 11am - 1 pm. Sometimes we have other events in various locations in addition and we post the schedules each week on our Facebook page and Instagram, so you better follow on your preferred channel!

💬 Hear from our adopters

“I cannot express enough gratitude to Stray Dog Center for the incredible work they do in rescuing, rehabilitating, and finding loving homes for animals in need. Their dedication, kindness, and unwavering commitment to every stray they take in is truly inspiring. A special thank you to Fiona and Seema, whose patience, support, and guidance made my adoption journey so smooth and heartwarming. Thanks to them, I was able to welcome the beautiful Bianca into my home, and she has already filled my life with so much love and joy.”— Alesia, Dubai

“Amazing experience. The dogs are so sweet. The shelter is in desperate need for donations.”— Alma, Dubai

❓Did you adopt, foster or interact with Stray Dogs Center? Please leave us a review!

🌍 International adoptions: Huskies relocations to cooler climates

An amazing husky-loving sponsor is covering all relocation costs for every husky who gets adopted to a country with a cooler climate.

We are running a special relocation initiative for huskies and other arctic breeds, aiming to place them in cooler climates where they’ll be more comfortable long-term. Thanks to a generous supporter who is covering all relocation costs, we are able to rehome huskies to Europe, the UK, and other regions with a cooler climate.

If you or someone you know lives in a cooler country and is open to adopting a husky, please share our Huskies page or news article of our Husky relocation initiative. Our team handles everything — from paperwork to transport — and ensures every adopter is fully vetted and supported.

💗 Why choose adoption over buying?

• 🐾 You save a life.

• 💸 You reduce demand for unethical breeding.

• 🧠 You support a no-kill, ethical rescue movement.

• 🐕‍🦺 You give a home to a dog who’s already waiting, already deserving, already amazing.

There are thousands of dogs in the UAE and around the world looking for a second chance. When you adopt, you become their hero.

🙌 Ways you can help (even if you can’t adopt)

Not ready to adopt yet? You can still make a big impact:

• 🤝 Volunteer at the shelter (dog walking, enrichment, socialisation)

• 🏡 Foster a dog short-term

• 🐕 Boster (sponsor) a dog's stay in boarding

• 💵 Donate to help us continue our mission

• 🛒 Shop essential gifts like food to our shelter dogs

• 📢 Spread the word by liking, commenting and sharing our adoption stories

  Every action matters — even the smallest one.

Visit our shelter & meet the dogs

We welcome visitors to our shelter in Umm Al Quwain by appointment only. Please reach out to schedule a visit and get to know the wonderful dogs in our care. Volunteers are more than welcome to join our weekend dog walks - more info on our website.

📍 Located in Umm Al Quwain, just a short drive from Dubai & Sharjah

❤️ Adopt. Don't shop.

Choosing to adopt is a powerful act of kindness. You’re not just rescuing a dog — you’re gaining a loyal friend, changing a life, and becoming part of a compassionate community.

We can’t wait to help you meet your new best friend.