Free Pet Adoption In UAE? Here’s what you need to know!
The ‘Adopt, don’t shop’ movement has been gaining a lot of buzz lately in UAE. The UAE population is definitely educating themselves and becoming more aware of the benefits of adopting their next pets instead of buying them but here is what you need to know about free pet adoption in UAE.
In the last couple of years, there have been multiple incidents with dog breeders that enraged the animal-loving UAE citizens.
A lot of shops have been fined after complaints of keeping the animals in horrible conditions and others have had their license suspended for actually selling sick pets that were never vaccinated.
On the other hand, we don’t see that problem with animal shelters, which do not only vaccinate their animals but also spay/neuter them if they’re old enough.
Yet, a lot of people are still baffled when they find out that most animal adoption isn’t for free! Here’s why that’s not possible:
Pet Shelters Expenses
1. Vet Bills
While any pet owner knows that the trips to the vet are quite expensive, it should be put in mind that it is much more than that for an animal shelter.
1. Vaccinations
Most shelters are very cautious when it comes to vaccinations. When unvaccinated cat might infect its feline friends and spread sickness around the shelter.
2. Neutering and Spaying
To prevent the overpopulation of the shelter and the city in general, most shelters spay and neuter their animals if they’re old enough
3. Microchipping
To make sure the pets don’t get lost and strayed again, a lot of shelters make the extra effort of microchipping their animals.
4. Other care
Not only does the animal shelters spend megabucks to vaccinate, spay, neuter, and microchip their furry citizens, they also have to pay a lot more to take care of sick or injured animals that they rescued off the street.
It’s true that a lot of Veterinarians will sometimes volunteer to work at a discount for a good cause, but it should be put in mind that none of this pet care is actually free especially when the shelter is dealing with a large number of animals.
5. Maintenance
After all, the animal shelter is an establishment that needs adequate resources and staff to keep running.
It’s actually quite surprising how the costs of maintenance seem to increase when most of the building’s residents are animals.
The difference between rescue shelters and pet shops is that rescue shelters actually put a lot of effort into providing healthy living conditions for their pets. Needless to say, that isn’t cheap.
Also, animal shelters might be welcoming a lot of volunteers but in the end, it still requires a stable and experienced staff to keep the place running.
Even though the salaries that these employees receive don’t always reflect their dedication and hard work, it’s still money that needs to be paid.
The Downside of Free Pet Adoption
While it might seem like a positive concept to have completely free pet adoptions, there’s still a downside to it that shouldn’t be ignored.
If pet adoption is completely free, it might attract people who won’t give their pets enough care and who aren’t willing to put money for the sake of their pet’s wellbeing.
A lot of people might want to have a pet without the financial commitment that it brings, which can be a very harmful approach that ends up doing more harm than good.
Even though shelters ask for very low prices compared to pet shops and breeders, this price is still an indicator of the pet owner’s commitment.
Adoption fees don’t fully cover the expenses of the pet or the maintenance of the pet shelter but they do help the animal shelter to keep going and rescue more animals.
Plus, it’s the least you can do to thank the shelter for welcoming you to your new healthy best friend!
Share this article with your friends and encourage them to adopt, not shop, or visit us here to discover the top shelters in UAE!
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