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Abu Dhabi, UAE CNN –
A group of United Arab Emirates residents have found more than 140 cats abandoned on a desert property in the capital Abu Dhabi. This phenomenon has drawn criticism from international animal rights organizations and prompted a government investigation.
According to Chiku Shergill, an Abu Dhabi resident who took part in the rescue, cats of all breeds, including non-native cat breeds such as Persians, were left to die trapped in their carriers or wandering the desert without food, shelter or water.
The animals were abandoned across the street from the Abu Dhabi State Animal Shelter in al Falah, a residential area in Abu Dhabi. The animal shelter told CNN it was unaware of the incident and declined further comment.
Rescuers counted 50 dead cats on the property and have saved 95 since September 28. A golden retriever dog was also rescued and a husky was found dead. Some of the animals were microchipped, indicating they were not strays.
In September, temperatures in the city of Abu Dhabi reach a high of 40.5°C. Desert temperatures could be higher during the day. The episode was criticized by international animal rights organizations and activists.
The animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is offering a $5,000 reward for information about “whoever abandoned these cats in the desert,” said Jason Baker, vice president of PETA Asia, in a statement to CNN.
“This act of cruelty cannot be swept under the carpet…The solution to the homelessness crisis is spaying, neutering and adoption in overburdened and understaffed animal shelters, which PETA Asia has been calling on the UAE to do for years,” Baker said.
Abu Dhabi’s Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT) said on Wednesday that it was investigating the incident. She encouraged the public to report details of the incident and is taking action to find those responsible.
Dr. Katherine Polak, vice president of companion animals for Humane Society International, told CNN she is pleased authorities are taking the matter seriously.
Shergill said the volunteer rescue team works around the clock, with many taking time off from work to continue rescuing, microchipping and finding homes for the abandoned cats.
Ten domestic cats from Dubai, an hour’s drive from Abu Dhabi, were identified using microchips and returned to their homes.
Abu Dhabi launched a Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program in 2008 to control feral and stray cats, primarily through the Abu Dhabi Animal Shelter.
The TNR program says it is in line with “international animal welfare guidelines” and claims to release the animals back where they were captured.
Animal “dumping sites” are common in Abu Dhabi and Dubai and this is not an isolated case, the International Organization for Animal Welfare (OIPA) said in a statement, adding that it has been advocating for stray animals in the UAE for years.