Here is such a lady. A human with an ardent, selfless love for the animals and birds around her. Afra Al Dhaheri is the person behind Cloud9 Pet Hotel & Care. As she takes a break from her busy schedule, Day of Dubai joins her for a small tete-a-tete.

Who is Afra? How would you describe yourself? 

I am Afra Al Dhaheri, born and raised in Abu Dhabi, UAE. If I could describe myself I would say that I am a woman with a strong vision to enhance the state of animal welfare in the UAE. I was lucky enough to grow up in a family that loves animals. We had many pets at home growing up with us and our family has constantly taught us from a young age to be kind to all creatures around us and respect them. I am lucky to have grown up in such a supportive and loving family. I owe a lot to them for where I stand today. 

What makes you an ardent lover of pets?

I am always overwhelmed by the way which pets bring joy and happiness into our lives with their innocence and playfulness. There is no better feeling than coming home after a long day of work to a pet that is waiting to welcome you with its unconditional love. Any sad day can be turned into a happy one with their presence. 

Have you been this compassionate for animals since childhood?

Yes, I have always had a love for animals. As a kid, I was easily drawn to the creatures around me. And I am sure that it will continue to grow in me as I grow.

Any heart-touching incidents while indulging with pets that you would like to share with us?

The story I am about to tell you does not involve what people consider as a “pet”, because I am talking about a baby monkey here, a baboon that I rescued, named Athena, which is considered a “wild animal”; and of course I do not encourage people to consider them as pets despite their loving and kind nature.

Athena was purchased from the Animal Market in Sharjah by a very kind family. They felt a need to buy her not because she was cute at that moment or because they simply wanted to, but the reason they did is that she was in a terrible environment and in a bad medical condition. She was malnourished and needed help immediately. Despite the family knowing they could not keep her as a pet they purchased her to care for her medical needs rather worry about her fate later.

The family trusted us to provide the best medical care to save this baby monkey. A few months later, she was fully recovered and ready to go home. Unfortunately, the family could not take her back and we could not find space at any of the available zoos in the UAE. So I decided to care for her myself. Athena eventually became an indispensable part of my life. Once she came into my life, I grew uncontrollably attached to her. She was a friend and a close companion to me at all times. I had to hold on to her for almost 2 years despite knowing that it is against the UAE Law to own monkeys as pets as they are considered and categorized as wild animals. This came with the bitter realization that I could not keep her forever.

Every day a tiny piece of my heart broke when I thought of the day that she would be sent to the zoo but deep down in my heart I knew it is what is right for her and also I did not want to break the law. 

I still remember the day she was surrendered to the authorities and we were all ready to send her to the zoo. I was deeply devastated and inconsolable. I don’t remember crying that much my whole life. Yet at the same time, I was relieved that she was finally going to have friends of her own kind for the first time and start her own family. 

Cloud9 Pet Hotel & Care is a thought-provoking step taken by you. What prompted you to kick-start Cloud9 Pet Hotel & Care?

There are too many reasons why I wanted to establish Cloud9 Pet Hotel & Care.

I was keenly involved in rescuing animals since quite a young age. I would greatly rely on the monthly allowance that I received from my family to take care of them. I also started taking part-time jobs to generate more money as the veterinary bills kept going higher and higher to a point where I could afford it no more. At times I found it highly frustrating and was almost demotivated to continue my mission. Thankfully, with the help and support from my family and friends, I was able to stride forward. 

Another reason is my very first dog, a Yorkshire Terrier named “Papi”. He was only 3 months old when I first got him. Because of Papi, I rejected every single family vacation plan whether it was on a long term or a short one. I also refused to be away from home for long hours and our weekend trips to Dubai was not even an option to consider. I could not go anywhere without worrying about him and I was uncomfortable at the very fact of keeping him at veterinary clinics in a cage and of course, there were no Pet Hotels in Abu Dhabi or Doggy Daycares. That is when “an idea popped up in my head". I wanted to create a haven for animals that was cage free; a huge garden for the animals to run around and play. I wanted to ensure their health and safety as well as their happiness, hence the veterinary idea came along. Putting it pithily, it was simple, I wanted everything a pet owner would need under one roof for his or her pet.

Tell us about Cloud9 Pet Hotel & Care, its purpose, specialties and efforts.

Cloud9 Pet Hotel & Care covers all facilities that cater to the needs of pets which are provided under one roof.

We offer various services like ‘boarding facility’ for all pets like cats and dogs along with small animals like rabbits, hamsters, chinchillas and many types of reptiles too. We also offer Health Care Services (veterinary services) 24/7 for Pets and have a specialty veterinarian for avian care including Falcons and other exotic breeds. Cloud9 Pet Hotel offers other extended services such as Pet Grooming, Doggy Daycare, Dog Training and a Kitty Daycare, a Pet Taxi Service and Pet Global Transportation Services. What makes us unique is that we offer home services as well, which include grooming, veterinary at home and delivery of pet food or products at customers’ doorsteps. We want to make sure that we are always there for our furry friends and the pet parents too.

What are your plans for the future regarding Cloud9 Pet Hotel & Care?

We are hoping to expand our current facility from a boarding facility to the veterinary care services. We also have plans to build a Cloud9 from scratch which is a huge project in line, and I am sure it will be an enthralling time for me. I am also going to start accepting some franchise opportunities across the GCC region which I have put on hold for some time.

What are your interests other than pets?

I must be honest here, my whole life revolves around animals, and it runs in my blood. But if I had to mention another interest it would be that I am also a social media influencer, I do a lot of live stream broadcasts with almost 200k followers and I recently started this journey on the social media platform “Snapchat”. I snap about my day at work, educate people about animal welfare and their rights, I also do a lot of tutorials and DIY on pet products and pet food. This makes me go gleaming with pride out of satisfaction and ecstasy as I am trusted by many of my friends on social media. I get to help them by answering any pet-related questions, concerns and support them with their pet’s needs.

I am also inclined to spirituality. I enjoy meditating and have this strong interest in learning about energy healing, the powers of crystals in energy healing, hypnotherapy and the law of attraction. I meditate every day and I am out of words to comprehend how much it has influenced me. It makes me feel great. It keeps me calm and in control. I feel at peace always and it has by large helped me stay focused throughout the day. I do guided meditations which have undoubtedly proven fruitful physically with my chronic pains. Moreover, it is the reason why I enjoy a peaceful night of sleep that enables me to wake up the following day and head to work as fresh as a daisy!

Afra Al Dhaheri, apart from being an enthusiastic lover of animals, is a great human being with a kind heart and a cheerful personality that makes her dearer to everyone around her. Her passionate efforts towards the betterment of the animal kingdom have brought out extraordinary results.

People like Afra are working for a great cause that most humans turn a blind eye at. We are often heedless to the needs of these creatures around us. When one part of the world is constantly devouring upon the habitats of the animal kingdom for their own benefits, it is a relief to see people like Afra who are on a mission to better their lives.