The Animal Welfare Centre (AWC) is currently located in Askar and is the heart of the BSPCA’s animal rescue efforts. It primarily houses dogs and cats but has, on occasions, been home to donkeys, sheep, goats, tortoises, birds, rabbits, hamsters, terrapins and others including a young camel a deer, baboons and a lion!
The majority of animals received are strays, some may be injured or sick, whilst others sadly may have been abandoned or abused by their owners.
We also receive pets from people who cannot keep them as they have had to move into smaller accommodation or are leaving Bahrain and cannot afford to take them with them.
Opening Hours
Sundays to Thursdays – Office and Adoption hours are 9am and 5pm.
Fridays and Saturdays – Office and adoption hours are 9am to 1pm.
Handing an animal into the Shelter
The Shelter is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year for admission of animals.
If you arrive out of office hours to drop off an animal, please call the mobile number posted on the gate which will be manned by a member of staff who will come out and assist you.
Anyone delivering an animal into the care of the BSPCA must fill in an Animal Acceptance Form, regardless of the animal’s circumstances, whether it is a stray or a pet. This gives the Society responsibility for the animal and the authority to deal with it in the most appropriate manner for its future welfare.
There is no time limit on the number of days, weeks or months an animal will be kept at the Shelter – each animal is assessed regularly on an individual basis. The BSPCA tries to find suitable homes for as many as possible of the homeable animals in its care.
Once an animal has been given to the Shelter it will NOT be returned to the person who handed it in under any circumstances and information will not be given out. The BSPCA reserves the right to provide a pain-free humane end for the animal ifa new home cannot be found.
We can collect animals but due to a shortage of staff, unless the animal is secured/on a lead and in an area (such as a room/garage) where it cannot run away, the Society is not able to come and collect animals.
The BSPCA has dog and cats traps which can be hired out to members of the public to assist in the capture of animals. There is a refundable deposit of BD 75 for dog traps and BD 50 for cat traps (in the past people have not returned the traps hence the need for a deposit) and a daily hire charge of BD 1 per trap per day payable after the first day of hire.
Care must be taken when approaching the animal as many stray and/or injured animals can be unpredictable.If the animal is too wild to catch then please call the police or your local municipality. Alternatively you can hire a cat or dog trap from the BSPCA. If the animal is wearing a collar and looks well fed but is found wandering in the street then it is more than likely somebody’s pet and they will be searching for it. If the animal has been micro-chipped thena scanner will be used to find out its details.
The kennel staff all work hard to make sure the animals are kept clean, well fed and exercised and all have many years’ experience. Over the years they have dealt with the rescue of all sorts of animals.
“The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated” – Mahatma Gandhi
For as long as the society had a place to call it’s own we have been educating the young and people in general most of the time going out to the schools with our dedicated team of volunteers, puppy or kitten in hand and teaching them all about how to take good care of the animals most people call pets. Ever since moving to our new premises in Askar we have aimed to get as many schools to visit us and learn about what we do as well as interact with all the animals at the shelter.
Many private schools and a few public ones have attended our classroom sessions and thoroughly enjoyed being with the rescued animals. Afterwards, the children go home and tell their parents about their experience at the animal shelter and leanings of the day: how many animals actually need homes and the importance of volunteering and donating to feed the animals!
Lets hope with a bit more perseverance we can get many more public schools to make their way to the Animal Welfare Centre (AWC). We feel it is this type of education that will foster a generation more aware of animal welfare rights and make a change in our local community.
If you would like to organise a school visit to the AWC or volunteer to visit schools in Bahrain on behalf of the BSPCA, contact us. We are always looking for volunteers!