What changed
- Dubai Municipality opened an integrated pet shelter at the Birds and Pets Market in Warsan.
- A new digital service lets residents browse animals available for adoption.
- The facility also supports animal rehabilitation and verified reunification of lost pets with their owners.
Dubai Municipality has opened a new integrated pet shelter at the Birds and Pets Market in Warsan, alongside a digital platform where residents can view animals available for adoption.
Announced on 27 July 2026, the initiative brings animal care, rehabilitation, adoption support and lost-pet reunification together in one facility. For people considering pet adoption in Dubai, the online service offers an official place to begin exploring animals in need of homes.
What is available at the new Warsan shelter?
According to Dubai Municipality, the shelter was created to provide a safe and humane environment for stray and loose companion animals. Animals receive care before they are considered for adoption and matched with suitable families.
- A veterinary clinic and surgical operating theatre
- Reception and rehabilitation areas for stray and loose animals
- A pre-adoption viewing area
- Interactive rooms where prospective adopters can meet animals
- A grooming unit
- A Customer Happiness Centre
- A centre that helps reunite lost pets with owners after identity and ownership details are verified
How does the digital adoption platform work?
The Dubai Municipality adoption service lets users browse animals currently available for adoption. Listings may include health and behavioural information to help prospective adopters consider whether an animal's needs fit their home and lifestyle.
Residents interested in adopting can begin through the official Dubai Municipality digital adoption service.
What should you consider before adopting?
Opening your home to an animal is a long-term commitment. Before applying, think carefully about:
- Whether pets are permitted in your building or tenancy
- The time available for exercise, training and daily care
- Veterinary care, food, grooming and boarding costs
- The animal's temperament, health and space requirements
- Who will care for the pet during travel or emergencies
- Whether everyone in the household is ready for the responsibility
The shelter's health and behavioural information can help, but an in-person meeting is also valuable. Ask about the animal's known history, medical needs, energy level and comfort around children or other pets.
Before applying, use our Dubai pet-adoption readiness checklist to assess housing permission, daily care, costs, travel and long-term responsibility.
Support for stray and community animals
The project goes beyond adoption. Dubai Municipality announced cooperation agreements with Vets fur Pets Veterinary Clinic and Phoenix Veterinary Clinic to support the treatment and rehabilitation of injured or seriously ill stray and loose companion animals.
The partnerships also support humane population-management programmes. These include trap-neuter-return for stray cats, as well as treatment and care programmes for stray dogs and cats. Dubai Municipality says vaccination may be included where required before a cat is returned to its original location, provided that doing so is safe for the public and the animal.
What if you have lost a pet?
The facility includes a dedicated service for reuniting lost pets with their owners after identity and ownership are verified.
If your pet is missing, act quickly. Prepare recent photographs, their microchip and registration details, and a clear description of where they were last seen. Follow the first 24-hour lost-pet checklist for Dubai for a practical search and reporting plan.
A new official route to pet adoption in Dubai
The Warsan shelter and its digital service give Dubai residents a new official route for exploring responsible pet adoption. They also expand the city's capacity to care for stray and loose animals and reconnect identified lost pets with their families.
If you are ready for the responsibility of a pet, start by reviewing animals through the official platform and confirm the latest requirements directly with Dubai Municipality.
