In 2002, at the age of 12, I started my own nonprofit dog rescue organization called Augie’s Doggies Rescue as an effort to save the lives of shelter dogs that would otherwise be put to sleep in shelters across the United States. I spent 12 years (half my life) running Augie’s Doggies Rescue, and to date have rescued, rehabilitated, and found homes for 130 dogs in need. My mission continues in the
Middle East as I work to establish a Humane Education Program that inspires children to make a difference in the lives of homeless pets while training shelter dogs for the use of Animal Assisted Therapy. I realized at a young age that kindness is a composite quality, in which love, understanding, foresight, empathy, and selflessness can all mingle. Departing from traditional methods responding to animal welfare, this project emphasizes the fostering of a Cultural understanding, which engages with the public in a way that is nourishing, for both humans and animals. The fate of the UAE’s homeless pet population is dependent on addressing the root of the problem, both internally and externally. Through awareness and education, the implementation of animal welfare concepts make it possible to form and sustain loving and harmonious relationships between people and their pets. This invites a culture of compassion, animal welfare, health, and education to play together rather than to work apart. Among the Humane Education project that I have drafted specifically for the UAE offers several components which include:
• an Animal Assisted Therapy program/ public campaign promoting the health benefits from owning a pet. This involves training rescued Salukis and other adoptable shelter dogs as therapy dogs, demonstrating the remarkable characteristics of the breed outside of their use for sporting purposes
• a “Jog a Dog” program that encourages residents to get active, while giving homeless dogs in Abu Dhabi a chance for socialization and a break from time spent in a kennel.
• An array of public events focused on raising awareness about homeless pets in the UAE, Pet adoption, and animal welfare, and the timeless lesson of kindness and compassion, for both people and animals.
