When Tiffany Dickinson found a dizzy little pigeon struggling to stand on a Dubai pavement, she never knew she was bringing home a family member. The bird, later named Boots, had a neurological virus that made her too weak to survive in the wild.

Two years later, she lives in an apartment with Tiffany and her partner, flies short distances around the room, showers three times a week, and even has her own Instagram page, @mybalconypigeons.

Boots' story is not unique. Across the UAE, many residents are finding animals in distress - in cardboard boxes, parking lots, and even construction sites. A year or two later, these rescued animals, from kittens and puppies to a pigeon, have become part of families who once only meant to help them for a night.

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Coming from a rescue background, the Australian expat volunteered with an animal rescue charity that focused on animals the public generally overlooks - pigeons, seagulls, swans, and others.

"I just fell in love with pigeons," she recalled. In April 2022, while on her morning walk, Tiffany noticed a baby pigeon that wasn't with the rest of the flock and couldn't fly. After taking her to the vet, the rescued bird was found to have a neurological virus that caused dizziness, making it impossible for her to fly or fend for herself.

Boots came home with Tiffany, and now, years later, she is part of the family, living with Tiffany and her partner. "She's incredibly clean and has a huge personality. If she hears the shower running, she'll rush to bathe first."

For Tiffany, seeing Boots fly across her living room is a reminder of that decision. "People think pigeons are dirty," she said. "But really, it's the environment that makes them sick. Boots showed me how misunderstood they are."

'Our fosters became family'

When Shirin Zemmo and her husband came back from a holiday last July, they were surprised to find what was waiting outside their Arjan building. "As we got out of the taxi, I noticed a pet crate near some construction across our building," she said. "I looked closer and saw two tiny newborn kittens inside, with an open can of tuna."

They already had two cats at home, but walking away wasn't an option. "I'm a huge animal lover, so I couldn't just leave them," Shirin said. "We ended up taking them in until we could figure out what to do next."

That night, the only vet open in their area told them the kittens would have a better chance of surviving at home than at the clinic. "So we bought some kitten formula and brought them to our apartment," she said.

The next few weeks were a crash course in newborn care. "We had to learn how to bottle feed them and help them go to the toilet, as they aren't able to on their own at that age," she said.

A year later, those kittens, once meant to stay for a night, have become family. "Of course, we got super attached to them, and they to us, as we were basically their 'mom'," she said. "I never knew that I could have cats as affectionate as they are. They're very attached to me in particular, following me around, wanting to sleep next to me all the time, and asking me for kisses and cuddles. It's very sweet."

For Dubai resident Natasha D'Souza, rescuing animals isn't new. "Every pet I've ever had in the past 30-plus years, dogs and cats, have all been rescues, all with wildly different origin stories," she said. "Some we have laid to rest along the way, but they have been with us till their final breath."

Her oldest cats, Boney and Mindy, are now 15 years old. "They were both born to a cat that we were feeding in my old neighbourhood in Deira," she said.

When the family moved to Dubailand in 2010, Natasha brought the surviving kittens with her. "There were just three left. We brought them with us in December 2010. Of those three, only two are remaining, Boney and Mindy. They're senior cats now, but very happy and thriving."

Her next rescue, Rosie, came during the pandemic. "She was one of those unfortunate cats that during the pandemic was dumped in our neighbourhood," Natasha said. "I first saw her pregnant around June 2020. I don't know how she survived that summer. I think some neighbours were feeding her."

By early 2021, Rosie found her way to Natasha's home. "She figured out we had cats because we kept food in our garage," she said. "She found our house and never left. We got her spayed; by then, all her kittens were gone. She's probably had abuse at some point. She might have been kicked or something because she has a hernia. But she's thriving. She's adjusted with the other two like OGs in the group."

Then came Ruby and her kitten Tun Tun, the latest additions to the family. "Ruby again was another case of a female cat who got pregnant and was abandoned," Natasha said. "She turned up in our courtyard in early 2023, starving. One of her babies, the smartest one, which is Tun Tun, followed her. They made this their home. They're indoor-outdoor cats, but they always come inside and sleep in our room. They're very much ours."

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