Abu Dhabi cat rescue: How two women saved over 70 cats in Al Sideirah — ‘They had nowhere else to go’
If the cats of UAE could speak, they could tell stories that would outlive any Netflix show at this point. Their tales would mostly trace the trajectory of abandonment, days of cursing humans, trying to avoid cars, and sometimes, just sometimes, a story where the same species that abandoned them shows up to save them instead. Humans are a peculiar lot, cats would probably agree. So would humans,…
In a remarkable act of compassion, two women, Maria Sanchez and Aira, managed to save over 70 cats from imminent danger in Al Sideirah, Abu Dhabi. The cats were at risk of being left behind as demolition crews were set to tear down their apartment. Maria recalls, "A lady had posted about the cats, explaining that demolition was taking place in the area and that they urgently needed to be saved."
Realizing the urgency, Maria reached out for help and was joined by Aira. The two women worked tirelessly, catching cats in batches of around 8-11 at a time, driven to Pet Avenue Veterinary Clinic in JVC for treatment. At the clinic, the cats underwent Trap, Neuter, Return (TNR) procedures, a process carried out by Dr. Hesham and the Pet Avenue team despite the logistical challenges.
After treatment, the cats were returned to Al Sideirah and released in locations away from the demolition site. Maria and Aira repeated this process until they successfully rescued as many cats as possible. The demanding nature of the rescue, particularly during the peak of summer, tested their physical and mental endurance. However, Maria credits Aira's support and the Pet Avenue clinic for their invaluable assistance.
Today, the rescued cats are safe and secure. Maria expresses her gratitude to everyone who helped make this rescue operation possible.
Written by urgent.news from Gulf News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
