Meet The Team!
SAD is run entirely by volunteers who all dedicate their time to help make SAD dogs HAPPY. This page is to acknowledge those volunteers who are truly committed and as such dedicate an extraordinary amount of time to the organization. SAD recognises the contributions of ALL volunteers and thanks everyone for their continued support and dedication.
Dr Rachel Shaw
Dr Rachel Shaw - Director. I came to Abu Dhabi in September 2006 to work as a vet at the American Veterinary Clinic. Through my work as a vet it quickly became apparent to me that Abu Dhabi had (and still does have) a serious problem with stray dogs.
I was shocked to discover that there was only one rescue organization assisting stray and abandoned dogs. SAD was founded in April 2006 and was truly in its infancy when I moved here. At that time SAD had very few volunteers, little support and could only assist 3 dogs at any one time. As a consequence on a weekly basis I was having to euthanase perfectly healthy stray dogs that were being handed in to the AVC.
The situation was heart breaking. I took an oath to relieve animal’s suffering and felt I had to do something to honour this, so in September 2007 I became a SAD volunteer.
I helped SAD develop and implement many new policies and procedures that have led to vast increases in homing rates. I also enlisted the help of similar dedicated friends and professionals who have certainly been the key to SAD's success and the ability to make more and more SAD dogs HAPPY! My role as Director is to provide leadership in all branches of the organization, promote SAD, and ensure we continue to grow so that ultimately we make more SAD dogs HAPPY!
I have 3 of my own dogs. RJ - a 12 year old rescue Yorkie terrier and PEG, a 10 year old rescue border terrier mix both whom i shipped over with me when I first came to Abu Dhabi. My latest addition is MIRACLE MAX, a rescue saluki mix from SAD who I adopted when he was just 4 weeks old. He was found abandoned in a garbage bin! Animals have always been my life and volunteering for SAD enables me to give something back to those animals who need it the most.
Sue Stuart - Homing Coordinator. I arrived in Abu Dhabi with my 2 west highland terriers and 2 cats and when one of my dogs tragically died I got my first SAD dog 'HANI '(pictured with me) in June 2008. Totally inspired by this wonderful dog, I began volunteering for SAD by helping train the SAD dogs and becoming part of the SAD phone volunteer team. I was then recruited in October 2008 to the position of 'Homing Coordinator'.
My job involves many hours on the phone talking to prospective dog owners establishing both their suitability and their 'ideal' requirements in a dog! Therefore I make it a priority to get to know each and every SAD dog to enable me to match them perfectly with their forever family.
I am also involved in many other aspects of SAD, such as dealing with the emails arriving daily, trapping stray dogs, and i attend the education visits we make to the local schools along with Hani. I have recently succumbed to a second SAD dog, ZURI, so I now have 3 dogs and have also somehow managed to increase my cat total to 5!
Nikki Gammans - SAD Trapping and Training. I have been volunteering with SAD since December 2007. I am the first person to foster any tricky dogs and assess them for placement with our foster families. My main area of focus is the temperament testing, training and trapping but i tend to help out where ever needed.
My love of animals started on my family’s farm where we had everything from horses to rescued raccoons. Dogs have always been my favourite though, leading me initially to work for a Great Dane breeder at age 14 and later to manage a high volume boarding kennel for 8 years.
When not volunteering for SAD I operate my own business ‘The Pleasurable Pooch” which provides all types of training from basic obedience and agility to behavioural consultations. I currently share my life with four rescued animals (two clever dogs and two marvellous cats) and a very tolerant husband.
I was keen to assist SAD in as many ways as I could so I also offered to help them by making posters of the dogs they had to home. In September 2009 SAD decided to launch a merchandise range to help raise much needed funds. Being an architect by trade I am good at design and sent in some ideas for merchandise. SAD loved my ideas and now I am coordinating the design and production of the SAD merchandise range. I am also coordinating our new fundraising campaign “Sponsor a Kennel”.
During my time with SAD I found the perfect 3 legged feline companion. Alfie came to SAD with a badly fractured front leg which was beyond repair and unfortunately needed amputating. SAD quickly raised funds to help cover Alfie’s treatment and I was so smitten by him that I adopted him a week later! Alfie is just one of many cats which SAD has assisted and re-homed. I’ll always be thankful to SAD for what they did for Alfie as I can’t imagine life without him!
My role as a co-ordinator focuses on raising general awareness of SAD and fundraising for the charity. I am involved in the organization of SAD events, sourcing community events and contacting organizations to increase our awareness in the UAE.
This year I am heading the SAD Ball committee which is a key fundraiser for the charity. All volunteers are committed to making 2010 our best year yet, both in terms of charity presence, funds generated and number of animals re-homed.
I continue to foster occasionally, and sometimes help out with training classes for SAD dogs. My main SAD duties now are to do with getting the message out there – so that involves updating the Facebook page and putting adverts in Dubizzle and Abu Dhabi week. I also run the SAD Education Programme. I organize school visits to talk about SAD as an organization, the work that we do and the importance of responsible pet ownership.
My main hobby is photography and painting. I have supported fundraising events by taking pictures and I have contributed photos to this year’s SAD calendar: The perfect way to combine my love for my hobby with my love for animals!
