38smiles

OUR STORY

My name is Kay and I started 38smiles in 2012 as a way for me to fulfil my personal quest to save the stray animals of Dubai. Since then 38smiles has grown into a group of likeminded people determined to help as many animals in need as we possibly can to become beloved pets for life. We do, however, still believe in keeping things ‘small and personal’ -for us it’s not about the volume of animals we rescue but about the quality of care we provide for them. 

38smiles exists thanks to a group of extraordinary people who have ordinary jobs, families, pets and ordinary lives. What makes them extraordinary is their belief, drive and the no-excuses-attitude that’s needed to be involved in animal rescue. We work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. We oversee each rescue from beginning to end –from the initial rescue to vet checks, rehabilitation, fostering, advertising, trial adoption to full adoption, and even after the pet has been adopted. 

Through the years we have grown, learned and formed our beliefs and policies.

EVERYTHING WE DO IS GUIDED BY OUR VALUES

Compassionate
We care deeply about the lives of animals; we have empathy for people, and we always act with kindness and consideration.

Inspirational
We are life changing, we inspire by taking the lead, we speak up when others don’t. We make the brave decisions and change animals’ lives for the better.

Committed
We never give up; we have energy and determination. We rescue animals from cruelty and neglect, giving them new opportunities and supporting others in doing so.

Expert
We have expert knowledge, we act on the basis of evidence, we back up our decisions and actions with science data and experience.

Integrity
We are honest and trustworthy, we act with integrity, we do what’s right.

COLLABORATION…

• International experience has positively shown that the community’s role is vital to managing the increasing stray population.
• No one entity can manage the situation alone.
• The UAE and Dubai have always been pioneers and showcased themselves to the world in many sectors, including recently in dealing with the COVID-19 Pandemic.
• We are sure that we can do the same in the community development sector.
• We recognize that we are not all aligned with the vision that Dubai has, and it is now time for us to join and support Dubai’s mission to be the most caring city in the world.

 

LONG-TERM VS SHORT-TERM…

Feeding stations are a short-term solution, as they deal with keeping the increased number of strays healthy.

TNR is a long-term solution as colonies of strays that are part of our ecosystem will stabilize, and will eventually become under control:

• The number of complaints received by DM will decrease; as residents will see results and try the same in their communities,

• The number of strays that have medical issues will decrease,

• The number of healthy strays that exist within our ecosystem will level to a manageable number.

FINALLY…

Here we chose a picture of a bird; not because we have changed our focus but because we were motivated by it.

The move by his HRH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, to cordon off his Mercedes-AMG G63 SUV at the parking lot of his residence in Dubai paid off as two birds have hatched on the bonnet. 

The mother bird built the nest some weeks back and laid her eggs in it. 

The Crown Prince of Dubai shared a video on his Instagram and said, “Sometimes the little things in life are more than enough.”