They have to this point managed to save lots of 92 stay cats however have discovered over 60 lifeless
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British expat Chiku has been an animal lover and rescuer for a number of years, however she has by no means come throughout a dumping website as massive because the Al Falah desert in Abu Dhabi. “It was an absolute nightmare,” she mentioned, together with her voice cracking, as she struggled to maintain her tears in verify whereas chatting with Khaleej Times. “There were bodies everywhere. When we arrived in the desert, small cats were coming running to us, screaming and crying for help. Many were dead. The youngest one was just a month old. We are all traumatised and these images will haunt us forever.”
It was final week that some Emirati rescuers raised alerts a couple of mass dumping website in Abu Dhabi. When others together with Chiku reached the location, there have been greater than 100 cats there. “We have been working around the clock since then,” she mentioned. On Wednesday, authorities in Abu Dhabi launched an investigation into the incident with the Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT) vowing to take all “relevant administrative and legal measures”.
The dumped cats embody a combination of home pets and neighborhood cats and has left a number of rescuers baffled. “Many cats were microchipped and some of them were freshly neutered,” mentioned Chiku. “I managed to track down and speak to one of the owners. Their cat had been missing for a few days. They were heartbroken to learn that their beloved pet had ended up in the desert and they had no idea how it had happened. So, it is not like a bunch of abandoned and community cats were dumped. Some were stolen from their owners. I really hope the authorities will find who was behind the dumping.”
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Help poured in
For rescuer Dave, the incident introduced up lots of painful recollections. “My three cats were taken off the street by a pest control company and I am continuing to search for them,” he mentioned. “So, since then, my wife and I have been heavily involved in pet rescue.”
An skilled in monitoring microchips, Dave grew to become the coordinator as assist poured in from animal rescuers all around the UAE. “People from all over the country came to assist us,” he mentioned. “It has truly been a community effort. Without that help, it would have been impossible for us to deal with this incident.”
According to Chiku, the help of the Emirati neighborhood was immense. “Honestly, they have been amazing,” she mentioned. “This area is a predominantly Emirati housing area. They have been bringing us rescuers food and water. They have also been providing food for the animals. They are the ones that helped us raise awareness and spread the word out to other fosterers.”
Time consuming and heartbreaking
Many of the rescuers had taken break day their jobs to work across the clock. “We have been spending time in the desert from 6pm to 4am, searching for cats and rescuing them,” mentioned Chiku. “The rest of the day is spent in taking the cats to the vets and supporting foster families with food and other items.”
Dave, who has been monitoring the efforts, mentioned that the group has to this point managed to rescue 92 stay cats. “Sadly two of them died,” he mentioned. “And we found over 60 dead bodies. The trend we noticed was that most of them were fluffy cats, indicating that they were someone’s pets. The five cats that I am fostering, were all neutered in the last two weeks.”
Chiku mentioned that the method had taken fairly a toll on lots of rescuers. “I have seen grown men and women just collapse on to the desert and weeping with their faces in their hands,” she mentioned. “Many dropped out after a day or two because it has been just so traumatising for them. Right now, there is a small group that is continuing the rescue work while others are fostering the injured the animals.”
She mentioned that the extent of cruelty proven to the deserted animals was stunning. “Many were dumped, locked in their cages,” she mentioned. “If they had unlocked the cages, some of them could have found some water or food or wandered to nearby houses. But the entire thing has been so shocking and inhumane. It is against everything that the UAE and its people stand for.”
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