A Dubai Property Portal Is Now Listing Rescue Dogs Like Homes — And It Might Actually Work
haus & haus has put around 50 rescue dogs and cats onto its property website, each with a listing-style profile and AI-generated images of them in real Dubai homes. Here's how it works and how to adopt.
A Dubai Property Portal Is Now Listing Rescue Dogs Like Homes — And It Might Actually Work
One of Dubai's best-known estate agencies has started advertising rescue dogs and cats the same way it advertises apartments.
haus & haus has begun placing rescue animals onto its property website, each with a listing-style profile — photo, name, age, breed, a short bio — and a direct link through to the rehoming organisation. Around 50 dogs and cats are expected to feature. The campaign launched on Tuesday 28 July 2026, in partnership with K9 Friends and Animals & Us, a rescue based in Fujairah.
It's the first time in the UAE that property listings have been used to rehome rescue animals.
---
The campaign at a glance
| Who | haus & haus (Dubai real estate agency) |
| Partners | K9 Friends; Animals & Us (Fujairah) |
| Launched | 28 July 2026 |
| Animals featured | ~50 rescue dogs and cats |
| Format | Property-listing-style profiles on the agency's website |
| Imagery | AI-generated placements of each animal inside real haus & haus listed homes |
| Next step for adopters | Direct link from each profile to the relevant rescue |
---
The clever bit: putting the dog in the room
The animals aren't photographed in kennels. They're digitally placed into AI-generated home environments modelled on the agency's actual property listings — sitting in living rooms, waiting in kitchens, curled up in bedrooms.
That's the whole idea. Shelter photography, however well intentioned, shows you a dog behind a fence. It's an image of a problem. A dog lying on a rug in a bright Dubai living room is an image of an outcome.
"People visit our website every day imagining the next chapter of their lives. We realised that same journey could also help rescue animals begin theirs." — Lucy Nickerson, Marketing Director, haus & haus
Michelle Francis Mathanda, CEO of Animals & Us in Fujairah, made the same point from the rescue side: "Home listings are the perfect platform to get people thinking about adoption while they're already imagining their next chapter."
There's a genuine behavioural logic here. Someone browsing a three-bedroom villa in Arabian Ranches is already in planning mode — thinking about space, garden, routine, who's going to live there. That is precisely the mental state in which adopting a dog stops being abstract.
---
Why now: shelters are past capacity
The campaign lands against a difficult backdrop. Animal welfare groups across the UAE are reporting a sharp rise in abandoned pets, and many shelters are operating at or beyond capacity, leaving volunteers stretched thin.
"Every successful adoption changes two lives — the animal's and the family's — while also creating space for rescue organisations to help the next pet in need." — Siddhi Mulaokar, volunteer, K9 Friends
That second clause is the one people miss. In a shelter running at capacity, an adoption isn't just one dog rehomed — it's one kennel freed for the next emergency intake. Adoption throughput, not just adoption numbers, is what keeps a rescue functioning.
Abandonment in the UAE has a familiar set of causes: sudden relocations, rising cost of living, tenancy problems, and dogs acquired impulsively without a plan for the summer or the eventual move home. It's why our guide to what to do before adopting or buying a dog in Dubai spends as much time on exit plans as on puppy supplies.
---
Meet two of the listings
Gucci — a three-year-old male Desert Cross who has spent his entire life in the K9 Friends shelter. His profile notes he's nervous of the outside world, but grows more confident with every outing. Desert Crosses are the UAE's own street-bred dogs: hardy, intelligent, typically low-maintenance, and consistently the hardest to place because adopters gravitate toward recognisable breeds.
Gordita — a one-year-old female Corgi Mix whose name means "little chubby one" in Spanish. Described as a velcro dog, happiest glued to her person's side. Recently surrendered, and needs a patient home to help her settle.
Two very different dogs, two very different homes needed. Gucci needs someone calm and unhurried who'll let confidence build over months. Gordita needs someone who's actually home — a velcro dog left alone nine hours a day is a separation-anxiety case waiting to happen.
---
Charlie Bannan, Managing Director at haus & haus, on the thinking
"We're always looking for new ways to connect with our customers, and this gave us an opportunity to do something genuinely meaningful along the way."
It's worth being clear-eyed: this is also marketing. A property portal gets attention, goodwill and press coverage out of it. But that's not a criticism — a campaign that costs a rescue nothing, reaches an audience of people actively planning their home life, and links straight through to K9 Friends and Animals & Us is a good trade for the shelters regardless of who else benefits.
---
The target: all 50 rehomed
haus & haus has set itself an unusually concrete goal for a marketing campaign — finding permanent homes for every one of the roughly 50 featured animals, not simply raising awareness. Each profile carries the animal's personality notes and a direct enquiry link to the responsible rescue, so interest converts into a conversation with K9 Friends or Animals & Us rather than stopping at a click.
That framing matters for anyone deciding whether to enquire now or wait. A campaign measured in adoptions rather than impressions means the profiles are being actively worked, and animals come off the site as they're placed — so the list you see today is not the list you'll see next month.
---
How to actually adopt one of these dogs
- Browse the profiles on the haus & haus website and use the direct link on each listing to contact the relevant rescue — K9 Friends or Animals & Us.
- Expect a real process. UAE rescues typically run a home check, ask about your tenancy and travel plans, and may arrange a trial period or foster-to-adopt. That's a feature, not an obstacle.
- Meet the dog before deciding. Especially with a shelter-raised dog like Gucci, one meeting tells you more than any bio.
- Check the paperwork. Confirm vaccinations, microchip, sterilisation and Dubai Municipality registration, and get the registration transferred into your name.
- Plan the first fortnight. Newly adopted dogs need decompression: quiet, routine, no visitors, no dog parks. Rushing socialisation is the classic first-month mistake.
If the animal you fall for is already placed, don't stop there. Our dog adoption directory lists rescues across the UAE, and there's Dubai Municipality's own online adoption platform, launched days earlier alongside the new Al Warsan shelter.
---
Before you fall for a photo: the honest checklist
A dog rendered into a beautiful living room is persuasive by design. Run through this first.
- Tenancy. Does your contract permit dogs, and has building management confirmed it in writing? This is the number-one cause of failed UAE adoptions. See dog-friendly neighbourhoods in Dubai.
- Summer. May to September means pre-dawn and post-sunset walks only, plus indoor enrichment in between. Read hot pavement and paw care.
- Budget. Food, annual vaccinations, parasite prevention, grooming, boarding, and an emergency fund. Our vets and kennels directories give a sense of real pricing.
- Leaving the UAE. Price pet relocation now, not the month you resign. A dog adopted here should leave with you.
- Match, don't rescue-shop. Pick the dog that fits your actual life, not the one with the best photo. A nervous shelter-raised dog and a first-time owner in a busy tower is a hard combination.
Full detail: what to do before adopting or buying a dog in Dubai.
---
Once they're home
The good news is that Dubai has become a much easier city to own a dog in. When your new dog is settled and recall is reliable:
- Dog parks across Dubai and the UAE — fenced and off-leash options by area
- Dog-friendly beaches: where you can actually go
- 565+ dog-friendly restaurants and cafés
- Dog trainers — worth booking early with a surrendered or shelter-raised dog
- Animal shelters in Dubai and the UAE — who does what, and how to help if you can't adopt
---
FAQs
What is the haus & haus rescue pet campaign?
haus & haus, a Dubai property agency, has added around 50 rescue dogs and cats to its property website as listing-style profiles, each with a photo, bio and a direct link to the rescue organisation. It launched on 28 July 2026.
Which rescues are involved?
K9 Friends and Animals & Us, a rescue organisation based in Fujairah.
Are the photos of the dogs real?
The animals are real. The home settings are AI-generated environments inspired by haus & haus's actual property listings, so adopters can picture what the pet would look like in a home.
How do I adopt one of the animals?
Click through from the animal's profile on the haus & haus website to the relevant rehoming organisation and enquire directly with them. The rescue, not the agency, handles the adoption.
Does it cost anything to adopt?
UAE rescues generally charge an adoption fee covering vaccinations, microchipping and sterilisation. Confirm the exact amount with K9 Friends or Animals & Us.
Why are UAE shelters so full right now?
Welfare groups report a sharp rise in pet abandonment, driven largely by relocations and cost pressures. Many shelters are operating at or beyond capacity.
What is a Desert Cross?
Desert Cross is the term used in the UAE for locally bred street dogs. They're typically hardy, intelligent and healthy, but are consistently overlooked in favour of recognisable pedigree breeds.
Where else can I adopt a dog in Dubai?
See our UAE dog adoption directory, Dubai Municipality's new online adoption platform, and the Stray Dogs Centre's weekly adoption events.
---
Details sourced from Khaleej Times reporting by Ruqayya Al Qaydi (29 July 2026), Arabian Business and haus & haus. Published 31 July 2026, updated 8 August 2026. Listings change as animals are rehomed — contact the rescue organisations directly for current availability.