DUBAI: Aisha Rashid, a 39-year-old Pakistani expatriate living in Dubai, is facing eviction from her apartment after sheltering 65 rescued cats. The property management company managing her building has demanded the removal of the animals, setting an October 2 deadline for compliance. Rashid’s predicament highlights the challenges faced by individual rescuers in balancing compassion for animals with housing and regulatory restrictions in urban environments. What began as an emergency response to abandoned pets has now become a full-time responsibility threatening her home and finances.
Rashid’s journey into animal rescue began during the Covid-19 lockdown when she stepped in to feed stray cats after their caretaker left the country. When the original caregiver declined to resume duties upon returning, Rashid and her mother felt morally obliged to continue providing care. Over time, what was initially a temporary act of kindness transformed into a large-scale rescue operation. Her apartment, once a home, has become a sanctuary for abandoned cats—many of them ill or disabled—while her life revolves around feeding, medicating, and sheltering them.
Financially, Rashid is under severe strain. Working in the auto loan disbursal department of a back-office services firm, she earns Dh7,000 a month but spends most of it on the cats’ needs. She has personally funded the neutering of about 150 cats over six years, regularly spending Dh4,000–Dh5,000 per month on veterinary care. Veterinary emergencies have pushed bills as high as Dh5,000 per case, though one clinic has allowed her to pay in instalments. Meanwhile, as her reputation for rescuing cats spread, more strays—many suffering from blindness or injuries—were abandoned near her residence, increasing her burden.
Her family circumstances compound the crisis. Rashid’s mother is battling blood cancer after surviving breast cancer, and her retired father is no longer able to contribute financially. Her brother assists with household rent while Rashid shoulders the cost of Dh31,000 annually for the apartment where the cats are housed. To avoid disturbing neighbors, the family has rented a second apartment nearby for themselves, further draining resources. The property management company has already fined her Dh8,000 for keeping animals in the building, and with the eviction deadline approaching, Rashid faces the prospect of losing both her home and the sanctuary she has built for vulnerable animals.
