Abu Huraira Park Set for Self-Sustaining Transformation, Says UAE Animal Rescuer
On any given evening in Abu Dhabi, Yasmina A can be found on her quiet rounds—carrying a cat carrier in one hand and a stack of clinic bills in the other. For 14 years, cat rescue has defined her days, shaped her finances, and given her a profound sense of purpose. Now, she is ready to turn that experience into something far bigger: a structured, long-term sanctuary she calls Abu Huraira Park.
“The Abu Huraira Project was not born from ambition,” she says. “It was born from responsibility.”
Originally from Austria, Yasmina moved to the UAE more than a decade ago. Like many rescuers, she started small—feeding strays, fostering when possible, arranging Trap-Neuter-Return programs, and covering veterinary visits. Over time, rescue became the axis of her life. Savings were redirected to urgent solutions. Loans and pending vet bills became part of the routine. The animals always came first.
What eventually shifted was not the scale of the suffering she witnessed, but her understanding of it. “Compassion without structure leads to exhaustion,” she reflects. “Compassion with vision can create lasting change.”
Phased Approach
Abu Huraira Park represents Yasmina’s vision for structured, sustainable rescue. The concept has been carefully studied and refined over several years, and it will be implemented in phases. The foundation is TNS: Trap–Neuter–Shelter. Cats will be humanely trapped, medically treated, and neutered. Rather than being returned to the streets, they will enter a protected sanctuary designed as a thriving, communal habitat.
At the heart of the first phase is what Yasmina calls Noah’s Ark—an isolation and rehabilitation veterinary centre where rescued cats receive treatment and recovery care before joining the larger sanctuary. For her, medical care is central to any humane model. The vision includes ongoing treatment, preventive care, and lifelong monitoring to ensure that every cat enjoys both health and dignity.
“The long-term solution is not returning animals to the streets,” she says. “It is removing the streets from the equation altogether.”
Yasmina sees Ramadan as an opportunity to speak about that responsibility more openly. The name Abu Huraira carries deep religious and cultural resonance—it translates to “father of the kitten” and references teachings that emphasize mercy toward animals.
“Ramadan is a time when faith moves from words into responsibility,” she explains. “Every day, we see cats injured, hungry, exposed to heat and danger. Noticing suffering creates obligation.”
For her, mercy must be organized. She envisions the project as a reflection of shared values—compassion and accountability—while remaining grounded in practical systems. Rather than a series of emergency rescues, the sanctuary is designed as a complete ecosystem, where shelter, veterinary care, population control, education, and daily operations all function within one coordinated framework.
Yasmina describes the sanctuary as a small city within a protected park. The goal is to reduce repeated interventions and lower long-term costs by creating predictable outcomes: fewer animals on the streets, fewer emergency cases.
“Sustainability is achieved through a self-operating structure,” she says. “Innovation is in solving the problem once, properly, and for the long term.”
Financial independence is a core pillar of her planning. After years of personal strain, she believes compassion must be protected from instability. A self-sustaining model would shield care from fluctuations in donations and allow decisions to be guided by animal welfare rather than financial urgency.
Community engagement is equally important. Yasmina envisions families visiting the sanctuary, children observing structured programs, and volunteers taking on guided roles that ensure safety for both animals and people. She wants empathy to be learned through experience, turning care into a shared, living practice.
“Children learn by witnessing care in action,” she says. Volunteers, she adds, would participate in structured programs designed to cultivate mindful involvement. The goal is to prevent burnout and ensure that engagement is both sustainable and meaningful.
Vision in Progress
Yasmina is clear that Abu Huraira Park is not yet a finished reality—it is a vision in development, seeking dialogue and alignment. The concept has been discussed in professional circles and refined through formal presentations. Her aim is to collaborate with government authorities and carefully selected private and community partners.
“The project is about sharing a vision born in the UAE,” she says. “A vision inspired by compassion, responsibility, and long-term care.”
