XRW and I were talking about dogs a few weeks back and we thought that getting people from DubaiForums to donate to the K9 Friends, or volunteer some time as a worker or foster parents would be a great idea. Feline Friends could also use help, including fostering cats. Please consider helping out - it would really benefit the animals and you would get a lot of satisfaction out of doing a good deed.
Here are the Web links to these organisations;
K9 Friends -
http://www.k9friends.com/
Feline Friends -
http://www.felinefriendsuae.com/
The problem of stray and abandoned animals is serious here, because many people don't spay or neuter their companion animals, and some expats just let them loose when they move back to their home countries. If you check the bulletin boards at many of the local grocery stores you will see ads for "Pets needing a new home" because the expats are leaving. I have no clue what they do if they can't find a home for the animals before they leave...
There is also a problem of people not choosing the right companion animal - either getting frustrated that a cat rips up the furniture, or wondering why a large dog is being so destructive after being left alone during long work days. Some people think, "Hey, it is just an animal", but having a companion animal is just like having a child - it needs love and attention, food, medical care, and recreation. Spend enough time with an animal and you'll see the intelligence, humour and love - they aren't "just animals".