When coming home from work after a day that seemed to drag, we all want to switch off, relax and unwind. Sure, walking through the door, kicking off your shoes and diving on the sofa sounds amazing but if you’ve never put your key in the lock and heard the pitter patter of excited paws running towards the door, you aren’t living your best life.
A wagging tail, wiggling backside and eyes filled with excitement is one of the best greetings you can receive and when we visited K9 Friends Dubai, we certainly got a boatload full of love from the amazing dogs and puppies living there.
As a proud sponsor of a brand-new air-conditioning unit for the shelter, us here at The ENTERTAINER were so excited to spend a day with K9 Friends Dubai and find out a little more about them. They rely on the generosity of strangers, dog lovers and the hard-working volunteers and by sponsoring a unit, we can help keep the homeless and abandoned dogs cool and happy in the harsh Dubai climate.
What We Got Up To…
After a rather heart-wrenching presentation, we were all touched and equally shocked to find out hundreds of dogs have passed through the doors of K9, left alone and scared by people who they trusted. The amazing job the volunteers do mean these dogs get some of the love, attention and proper care they deserve but for an animal that thrives off of love and human contact, a life in a shelter is a fraction of what they deserve.
That being said, K9 Friends Dubai have a stringent process in place for adoption and fostering and rightly so. They keep their location secret and even turn people away who want to adopt a dog on a whim or because they think it will make a great birthday present. They are fully committed to finding genuine, long-term homes for these wonderful creatures.
After a few sniffles, we perked up quickly when the puppies were brought out to play. There were a lot of ‘aww’ moments but were quickly reminded puppies may look cute but require a lot of attention. We moved on to meet some of the older dogs and were crestfallen to find out that some of the long-term residents of the shelter have been with K9 for years and years.
We then took a tour of the facilities and were delighted to see happy, healthy dogs each with their own kennel, bed and personalised chart filled with detailed information. They are extremely well cared for but nothing could compare to a home of their own.
How You Can Help…
K9 Friends Dubai are pleased to accept toys, cleaning supplies and food. There are numerous other options for people to help too. They run sponsored dog walks and the choice to sponsor a dog or a whole kennel for a year. You can also commit to volunteering and in our opinion, this is the best option because who doesn’t want to spend all day with dogs!
The Puppy Ball is hosted every year, raising awareness about the huge stray dog problem in Dubai. It teaches responsible dog ownership and how crucial it is to spay and neuter animals. Plus, you get to dress up and have a fantastic night too!
Adopting a dog is an incredibly rewarding experience. It should be your first option over buying from a pet shop that only makes the breeding and overpopulation of dogs worse.
Contact K9 Friends Dubai about volunteering, sponsoring or adopting a dog. We’re certain they would love to hear from you!
