Pet registration a boost for Abu Dhabi’s animals, vets say

Animal Ownership System to launch on February 3 with owners urged to contact their veterinary clinic

Buster, a stray cat in Al Bandar community, in Al Raha Beach, Abu Dhabi. Khushnum Bhandari/ The National

Pet owners in Abu Dhabi must register their cats and dogs and have them microchipped under new plans to restrict abandonment and improve animal welfare.

The Animal Ownership System initiative is due to launch on February 3, and has been called a significant move forward.

Training has been given to veterinary clinics by the Abu Dhabi Department for Municipalities and Transport so they are aware of what is required. Registration must be completed through clinics, with owners urged to contact their regular vet to understand more about the process.

Nora Shackleford, clinical manager at the German Veterinary Clinic in Abu Dhabi, said owners should expect to pay up to Dh500 a year to have their pets fully vaccinated and registered. “One of the biggest impacts this will have is helping owners and pets to be easily reunited, which we deal with a lot,” she told The National.

“If missing pets are not microchipped or not registered anywhere, it can be almost impossible to put people back in touch with their pet. This is unifying all the pet owners, pet shops and veterinary clinics across Abu Dhabi – so it’s a great initiative.”

Many countries already have mandatory pet registration and a similar scheme is already up and running in Dubai. Those working in the animal care industry have been calling for the step to be taken in Abu Dhabi for some time.

Abandonment

In October 2023, more than 150 cats were dumped in Al Falah desert area in Abu Dhabi. Some were strays, but others were pets mistakenly rounded up by pest control. About 62 of the cats died, and the Department of Municipalities and Transport opened an investigation. Since then, animal welfare experts have called for mandatory registration to make it easier to track lost animals.

David Appleby lost three of his cats in Khalifa City in 2022. He suspected pest controllers took the animals under a trap, neuter and release programme. While he found Monty more than three months later, the other two, Blacky and Winnie, were never returned.

He set up microchipped.ae, a free platform to help owners track their pets, and said the government’s new system will offer a huge boost to animal welfare.

“This initiative not only benefits genuine pet owners by ensuring quicker reunification with lost pets, but it also contributes to the broader effort of controlling the overpopulation of stray animals,” he said.

“The creation of a centralised database will be crucial in enhancing the chances of recovering lost pets efficiently, which will bring much-needed peace of mind to responsible pet owners.”

Public education

Despite the expected benefits, he said more education was required on strays, and the public sector should have clear protocols in place to deal with colonies of cats.

“The guidelines to pet shops on setting standards for pet sales and education programmes are very good, and pest controllers have been retrained in new procedures for TNR, ensuring strays are returned to original locations after sterilisation,” said Mr Appleby.

“We are now seeing fewer stray colonies disappearing from public spaces, but the complaint procedure still needs addressing, and we also need to educate the private sector.

“Due to a lack of knowledge, they think calling in pest control to remove stray animals from their premises is the solution. The aspiration is for Abu Dhabi to be one of the best places for animal welfare globally, but these measures will take time to take effect.”