This past weekend I took my family up to Abu Dhabi’s first animal sanctuary – Bahya Sanctuary. I have been hearing tid bits about this place for months now. It is a privately owned sanctuary run by volunteers. It is located amongst the farms of Al Bahia – a mini adventure to locate.
To be honest it wasn’t too difficult to find the place – especially if you use google maps (like I did). The only hesitation was that I found myself driving on back roads that I felt I should not be driving on. There are so many different little farms out in that part of Al Bahia. It turns rustic very quickly but it is fun to explore.
I was pleasantly surprised by the organisation of the event. I was expecting a care taker with a few dogs and cats. WRONG. It was organised much better than that. A beautiful farm area, cute little dogs, sign in sheet, pet food donation table, dog training area in the distance (which my kids mistook for a playground), people, and a Desert Chill ice cream truck. Where to start? The kids were super excited and didn’t know which way to go. We were greeted by a volunteer upon entering. Volunteers were everywhere and easily identified by their white t-shirts.
After signing in, I was immediately asked by a different volunteer if we wanted to walk a dog but with 3 kids on the loose – my hands were full. We were shown how to navigate our way through the farm. Along the way, volunteers with dogs stopped and introduced the dogs to the kids. We headed down the farm where there were donkeys, ponies and a cat enclosure. The volunteers assisted if the children wanted to pet or feed the animals. There was always someone nearby to answer any questions. Dotted around the place were pictures of the animals with their rescue stories. It was very informative to us and we were able to share the stories with the children. What a great opportunity to learn more about animals.
As a family we enjoyed every minute of our visit to Bahya Sanctuary. It was a wonderful way to spend the last few hours of the weekend.
Bahya Sanctuary has an Open Day every second Saturday of the month. The next one is November 14. I would encourage you to take the trip out to visit. They are always accepting donations of pet food, toys, bowls, leashes. For more information on how you can make a donation or volunteer, please visit the Bayha Sanctuary Facebook page.
Have you visited Bahya Sanctuary before? If so, tell us your thoughts.
