Help to rehome and care for Oman Rescued Dogs Shelter dogs

Hi, my name is Schannine. I am fundraising on behalf of the Oman Rescued Dogs Shelter (ORDS) in Muscat, Oman where I support, and volunteer with, the rescued dogs in their care. We are appealing for help to cover day to day running costs, regular veterinary expenses for vaccinations and treatment, travel costs for rehoming overseas and a one-off project to repair the badly leaking roof of the main shelter building where the dogs are housed overnight.

Oman is undertaking a cull of wadi dogs (Omani street dogs) to try to control the number of pack animals roaming the streets. Many of these animals have been regularly fed by local people and become tame so were rescued to avoid the killings. This means that every possible foster home, kennels and the voluntary rescue groups remain completely saturated and unable to cope. Additionally, the Omani culture does not encourage dogs as pets and it’s therefore extremely difficult to permanent rehome street dogs or abandoned pets here. The best chance for rehoming Omani wadi-dogs is overseas. It can take years to find homes abroad and, in the meantime, the dogs remain in shelters run entirely by volunteers. We do not euthanise healthy dogs and are committed to caring for all the residents until they find a ‘furever’ home.

Wadi dogs originated from Arabian Village Dogs, a blend of Saluki, Basenji and greyhound often mixed with German Shepherds, Labradors and terrier breeds depending on the working needs of the owners. They are intelligent, very trainable, great with people and children and, usually, very tolerant of other animals especially cats. Additionally, due to their survival genes, they are generally robust and healthy dogs meaning fewer healthcare issues and expenses than some trendy ‘breed’ dogs.

The ORDS opened in 2021 and is located in a small compound near Muscat. It currently houses about 30 dogs – plus a few resident cats who like the company! The dogs have large cages in an airconditioned room and also access to a secure outside area with soil, shrubs plus bathtubs for play and cooling off in the summer.

The shelter is entirely self-funding; there are no Government subsidies and no charitable status in Oman for animal welfare. The care and wellbeing of these animals relies entirely on fundraising and the generosity of donors both locally and around the world.

To help you understand the enormity of the ORDS project, these are some of the general expenses that your donations will help us to cover are detailed below. We have negotiated many discounts from local vets and suppliers so these rates are considerably lower than the commercial costs for general pets. The amounts below are all approximate and estimates and subject to change.

Ongoing running costs:

• £300 weekly food bill

• £500 month for rent

• £300 month for cleaning and caretaking

• £100 utilities

To keep each dog healthy and ready for rehoming, they also require approximately £80 annually for:

• Vaccinations or boosters for rabies, Lepto and Parvo

• 4 (quarterly) treatments for fleas, ticks and worms

One-off expenses per dog include

• £20 microchipping

• £90 for female spaying or

• £80 for male neutering

Rehoming in UK or Europe

• £150 for a titre test (rabies immunity) for overseas travel

• £150 travel crates

• £350 tickets

• £150 Ministry paperwork

• Anything from £800 for a pet taxi from Europe UK plus Le Shuttle crossing fees from £300. The costs can be shared if other animals are travelling. Costs will vary due to availability and the time of year etc etc.

Roofing repairs

• £520 Roof repairs to keep the dogs dry and the air con effective. Estimates for costs of materials and labour have been requested.

Whilst these totals are enormous, we are grateful for every donation and nothing is too small. EVERYTHING will add up and help us to help these amazing dogs. Please donate if you can. If you can’t, please consider sharing this on our behalf so others see it too. Thank you for reading this.