A busy dog shelter in Ajman has been forced to close because of a lack of resources.
The owner of Furrballs said low staffing levels and the loss of a credit arrangement with a local vet were to blame for the closure.
Owner Sara Al Zaki said the closure could not have come at a worse time, with the number of dogs being abandoned increasing all the time.
“We were not able to get funded as a charity so we can’t ask for donations,” said the Emirati, 29.
Furrballs owner
“That makes things very hard for us. If we don’t get the fees from getting dogs adopted then we have no other way of making income.
“Not every dog finds a home and in some cases, it can take months or even years before someone comes along and adopts them.”
Ms Al Zaki said the shelter would remain open until the 24 dogs currently there find new homes.
However, once they are rehomed she said she will have to close up.
“We don’t have the means to hire people and we cannot rely on volunteers because rescuing is essentially a full-time job,” she said.
“It’s not an easy task and can often be emotional and stressful, requiring someone to be available at all hours of the day.”
She said the shelter previously had an arrangement with a vet who would be flexible about payment, allowing the team at Furrballs to bring animals in for treatment without having to worry about paying the bill immediately.
However, this arrangement came to an end at the new year, removing a vital lifeline for the shelter.
“We have accounts with other vets but unfortunately we have to pay those on the spot, which isn’t always possible,” Ms Al Zaki said.
“We don’t have the money and it isn’t right to take dogs in if we can’t make sure they get access to the treatment they need.
“It’s not fair on the dogs for them to suffer because we can’t provide for them.”
Most dogs looked after by Furrballs are left there by owners who are no longer able to look after them, she said.
“There are immense amounts of animals that are being dumped by their families because they can no longer afford to look after them, and there are also stray dogs that are being abused.
"I would say about 80 per cent of the dogs we get are surrendered by their families.
“It can be down to a number of factors but the most common are due to no longer being able to cover the costs, families relocating or in some cases they are having a baby and there’s no room for the dog anymore.”
Abandoning pets became punishable by law in 2018, with any act deemed to be animal cruelty carrying a possible jail sentence.
Ms Al Zaki said the closure of Furrballs would have a detrimental effect on other animal shelters.
“Us closing is going to put stress on the other rescue organisations and shelters as the need is so huge,” she said.
“The numbers are only going up and up as well. This is a massive problem.”
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder MHEV
Power: 360bhp
Torque: 500Nm
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Price: from Dh282,870
On sale: now
Need to know
Unlike other mobile wallets and payment apps, a unique feature of eWallet is that there is no need to have a bank account, credit or debit card to do digital payments.
Customers only need a valid Emirates ID and a working UAE mobile number to register for eWallet account.
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
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Key facilities
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- 600-seat auditorium
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
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The specs
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England squad
Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Dominic Bess, James Bracey, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Ben Foakes, Lewis Gregory, Keaton Jennings, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Saqib Mahmood, Craig Overton, Jamie Overton, Matthew Parkinson, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Dom Sibley, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Amar Virdi, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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China |
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UAE |
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Japan |
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Norway |
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Canada |
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Singapore |
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Australia |
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South Korea |
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The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
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Stars: 3
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Director: Hansal Mehta
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MATCH INFO
Euro 2020 qualifier
Croatia v Hungary, Thursday, 10.45pm, UAE
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
Our legal consultant
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Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Results
STAGE
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Generation Start-up: Awok company profile
Started: 2013
Founder: Ulugbek Yuldashev
Sector: e-commerce
Size: 600 plus
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- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
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Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Profile
Company name: Jaib
Started: January 2018
Co-founders: Fouad Jeryes and Sinan Taifour
Based: Jordan
Sector: FinTech
Total transactions: over $800,000 since January, 2018
Investors in Jaib's mother company Alpha Apps: Aramex and 500 Startups
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MEYDAN CARD
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