Written by Leizl Sterne
Professional photography by Blue Lace Photography
Around the hustle and bustle of a local supermarket in Dubai, a calico kitten found shelter under some shopping trolleys which she used to call home. Life on the streets for a kitten in Dubai is no joke; the authorities provide no assistance to animal rescue programmes and these strays are sadly often forgotten.
Thankfully, Miss Curly, as she’s since been named, was spotted by a rescuer who noted that her front leg was badly injured. The little curl-eared cat was trapped and taken to a vet for treatment. She then was sent to a foster mom where she stayed whilst the search started to find her a forever home.
Miss Curly’s journey begins
In the beginning, she was very shy and didn’t trust humans. Living on the streets, she had to fend for herself and wasn’t used to other animals. As such, it came as a huge surprise when she suddenly found herself sharing a house with three other cats and a dog.
However, after four or five days she warmed up to her new roommates and human foster mom. As her trust and confidence grew, her character slowly started to change and she became inquisitive and playful. It wasn’t long before she ruled the foster home. Miss Curly is super brave, and during her time at the foster home, she quickly turned from scared and uncertain into a well-adjusted and independent kitty.
But Miss Curly’s adventures don’t stop there.
Destination: new home
On the 30th of November 2022, Bernice Mong saw a post on Facebook put out by Pretoria Animal Buddies that Dubai cats were coming to South Africa. She’d heard that cats were being rescued and flown from Dubai to SA for rehoming through a friend who’s also very involved with cat rescue and rehoming.
Once she saw the photo of Miss Curly, it was love at first sight. Already being a very busy mom of five adopted kitties at home, Bernice didn’t intend to adopt Miss Curly but let Pretoria Animal Buddies know that she’d be willing to foster Miss Curly with the option to adopt.
Miss Curly and four other cats rescued in Dubai were scheduled for their flight to South Africa on the 7th of December 2022, and everyone eagerly waited in anticipation for their arrival in the country. Once they arrived at the airport, they were transported by a pet relocation and transport company to The Gato Inn where they were settled in and assessed to make sure they were all fine before going to their new homes or foster homes.
Bernice fetched Miss Curly, and as soon as the little cat set foot in her new home, Bernice knew she was never going to leave. And so Miss Curly had found her forever home in South Africa.
She was named Miss Curly due to the remarkable shape of her ears, like an American curl breed. She responds to her name very well and also responds when called “Little Girl”. These days, Miss Curly is full of energy and enjoys lots of toys, especially balls and soft toys. She likes simple toys like sticks, paper or foil balls (basically, anything on the floor is a toy for her to play with). When she’s tired from playing, she gets into her favourite, cosy, cocoon bed and sleeps like the dead.
Not surprisingly, she’s a bit of a “don’t touch” character. Miss Curly still doesn’t like to be picked up and carried around; she’s not very cuddly, but she loves head and chin rubs. Bernice sends regular updates to her rescuer and foster mom in Dubai, who continues rescuing and relocating Dubai cats to South Africa.
Calico cats are said to be independent. They’ll readily bond with a single owner but enjoy the company of an entire family, too. Cats of this colouration are believed to bring good luck in the folklore of many cultures. In Germany, the word for a cat with calico colouring is Glückskatze, meaning a cat that brings luck. In Miss Curly’s case, it clearly also means “lucky cat”, because she’s found the home of her dreams.
ABOUT THE DUBAI TEAM
The animal welfare situation in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), is utterly nightmarish.
Behind the glitz and glamour of Dubai, animals are discarded like garbage.
Animal welfare in the UAE?
In the UAE, there are no animal rescue organisations, bar two small dog shelters in other Emirates outside Dubai, which are always full. Cat shelters don’t exist. NPOs and rescue organisations are strictly controlled. There’s no government support and public fundraising is banned. There are no special rescue rates. There are no sterilisations or sterilisation projects. There are no “pet adoptions”.
With the majority of Dubai residents being from other countries, animals are bought from breeders, then dumped when their owners’ contracts end and they leave the UAE. No one believes in humane euthanasia (based on religious beliefs). It’s a way of life. But it’s a cruel way to life. It’s a cruel way to die.
We take animal welfare help for granted in South Africa, and even when there’s no hope for an animal, we have the option to choose humane euthanasia. In Dubai, there’s no option but to die on the streets between the shiny skyscrapers.
Fighting the nightmare
As an animal lover, to live in a country in which you’re surrounded by the most horrific scenes of animals in severe situations of starvation, neglect, illness and injuries is hellish. That’s why a group of kind-hearted women living in Dubai, one of whom is from South Africa and had volunteered with Pretoria Animal Buddies, teamed up to help them.
The Dubai Team, as Pretoria Animal Buddies has dubbed them, have only one option to carry out this labour of love: rescue the cats themselves and pay top-dollar high-end veterinary fees from their own pockets, then either rehome them privately in the city or send them to South Africa.
Their partners that help them with the relocation of the cats to South Africa are Nine Lives - Pet Relocation and Etihad Airways, and the partners in South Africa are Animal On The Move, The Gato Inn, and Pretoria Animal Buddies. In order to secure help, the team engaged in countless meetings with sponsors and travel agents for cheaper crates, cheaper flights, vet reports and bloodwork.
Changing their world
These cats come from the worst conditions and they need help. The Dubai Team, led by Thalia and Chantal, have a dream, and they’re paying for their own dream. They want to rescue abused and neglected cats and fly them to South Africa to find homes, and so they found some like-minded people in South Africa who share their dream, people who’ve rescued their own cats from the streets of Dubai. People who are equally invested in finding their Dubai cats new homes abroad. People who care.
As the saying goes, saving one animal may not change the world, but it will change the world for that animal. One by one, this small but mighty group of women are changing the world for Dubai cats.
You can help!
To find out more about the project and how you can help, please contact Pretoria Animal Buddies and follow them on Facebook @Pretoria Animal Buddies. Donations can be made through the GoFundMe account, Support Dumped Dubai Cats, or to Pretoria Animal Buddies’ own account:
Pretoria Animal Buddies
Nedbank
Cheque Acc 1148228861
Branch code 163145
Ref DUBAI CATS
All donations will go towards the relocation, rehoming, sterilisation and medical bills.
