Animal rescue organisation Sandy Paws is facing closure unless the Abu Dhabi community step in to offer support.
Sandy Paws rescues, rehabilitates and rehomes stray and abandoned cats in the capital, but after a particularly frenetic summer, organisers have had to issue a desperate plea to the public to foster cats or donate funds to save it from closure.
“This summer was unusually bad, with many cats abandoned and kittens being born on the streets,” said Jackie Covill, founder of Sandy Paws. “We even found four cats locked in a villa after the owners left them behind when they moved.
“Normally we have approximately 20 cats in our foster care to rehome. At the moment we have over 30 cats with some of them having to live in cages, so we urgently need foster homes,” Covill said.
The boarding costs alone for one cat is AED 40 per day. Sandy Paws rely entirely on donations and are unable to meet mounting operational costs.
“At the moment our vet’s bill is over AED 10,000. I am in bits about the situation as it looks like we cannot keep going; we urgently need homes for our pets and donations,” Covill added.
Neglected cats including Clemmie and Mabel (pictured) have been taken in by Sandy Paws. “These two kitten were rescued from a drain pipe have been forced to live at the vets for too long – they are 14 weeks old now and desperately need a home.”
If you are interested in giving a cat a home, attend the Adoption Day to be held on Saturday 26th October from 2pm to 4pm at the German Vet Clinic in Khalifa City. To donate visit: www.germanvet.ae or www.australianvet.com
