Our dog shelter is full to the brim

We have too many dogs sharing pens, which causes them stress and leads to fights.

The Stray Dogs Center in Umm Al Quwain is home to nearly 1,500 rescue dogs — a shelter for mainly dogs – abandoned, surrendered, abused, or in danger. But with 146 pens and more dogs arriving every week, we’ve reached a critical point. We are out of space.

The shelter sits in a remote corner of UAQ, off the grid. It runs entirely on generators for electricity, and all water is brought in and stored in tanks. The entire facility is roofed to protect dogs from the desert sun, but it has no solid walls and no air conditioning — apart from a few cooled rooms reserved for our most vulnerable residents, like arctic breeds (huskies, malamutes, etc.) and our on-site vet clinic, which includes treatment and recovery rooms.

Caring for over a thousand dogs in such conditions is a daily challenge. The open-sided pens expose dogs to extreme heat and noises, which creates constant stress. The sheer number of dogs makes it incredibly difficult to give each the care, attention, and calm environment they need — especially those recovering from trauma.

Micro units are built to prevent dog fights

The large pens have up to 15 dogs

Many of our dogs currently live in large shared pens, each housing up to 15 animals.

This setup was once the only way to shelter such large numbers. But it comes with serious risks. Not all dogs get along. Fights break out. Caretakers must step in — often getting hurt in the process. And for the dogs, group living means high stress, disturbed rest, and heightened aggression, all of which hinders their rehabilitation.

A row of micro units being built

So we’ve begun a critical transformation: we are converting large pens into micro units — compact enclosures designed for just two dogs, offering a calmer, safer space to live and recover.

We’ve already completed two micro unit conversions and a lot more are needed.

Building these units takes funding, and we need your support to continue. Each unit costs 1,000 dirhams, money that we don't have but desperately need for the sake of the dogs.

Micro units will home only 2 dogs in each to prevent stress and fights.

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Sponsor a micro unit — help improve the dog shelter and lives

✅ AED 1,000 – Full unit sponsorship

Your name or chosen message will appear on a plaque on the pen

🔗 Sponsor a unit via Nomod

✅ Any amount – Part sponsorship welcome

🔗 Donate via Mamopay

🧾 Want to donate via bank transfer?

All details are on our Linktree

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Every dog deserves more than just a place to wait.

Many of our shelter dogs have already endured abandonment, cruelty, and loss. While they wait for a home — and many wait years — they deserve an environment that’s safe, calm, and as stressless as we can provide.

Your sponsorship helps us move one step closer to giving them that peace.

Let’s build them a better shelter, together — one micro unit at a time. 💛