In the impoverished Gaza Strip, where most people struggle to make ends meet amid a crippling blockade, the suffering of stray dogs and cats often goes unnoticed.
Said el-Er, who founded the territory’s only animal rescue organisation in 2006, has been trying to change that. He and other volunteers rescue dogs and cats that have been struck by cars or abused and nurse them back to health – but there are too many.
So in recent weeks they have launched Gaza’s first spay-and-neuter programme. It goes against taboos in the conservative Palestinian territory, where feral dogs and cats are widely seen as pests and many view spaying and neutering as forbidden by Islam.
“Because the society is Muslim, they talk about halal (allowed) and haram (forbidden),” Mr El-Er said. “We know what halal is and what haram is, and it’s haram (for the animals) to be widespread in the streets where they can be run over, shot or poisoned.”
Islam teaches kindness towards animals, but Muslim scholars are divided on whether spaying and neutering causes harm. Across the Arab world, dogs are widely shunned as unclean and potentially dangerous, and cats do not fare much better.
Mr El-Er and other advocates for the humane treatment of animals face an added challenge in Gaza, which has been under an Israeli and Egyptian blockade since the Islamic militant group Hamas seized power in 2007. Gaza’s two million residents suffer from nearly 50 per cent unemployment, frequent power outages and heavy travel restrictions.
With many struggling to meet basic needs, animal care is seen as a waste of precious resources or a luxury at best. Mr El-Er’s group, Sulala for Animal Care, relies on private donations, which can be hard to come by.
Mr El-Er says his team can no longer keep up with the number of injured animals that they find or that are brought to the clinic. “The large number of daily injuries is beyond our capacity,” he said. “That’s why we resorted to neutering.”
On a recent day, volunteers neutered a street dog and two cats that had been brought in. There are few veterinary clinics and no animal hospitals in Gaza, so they performed the operations in a section of a pet store that had been cleaned and disinfected.
“We have shortages in capabilities, tools, especially those needed for orthopaedic surgeries,” said Bashar Shehada, a local veterinarian. “There is no suitable place for operations.”
Mr El-Er has spent years trying to organise a spay and neutering campaign but met with resistance from local authorities and vets, who said it was forbidden. He eventually secured a fatwa, or religious ruling, stating that it is more humane to spay and neuter animals than to consign an ever-growing population to misery and abuse.
Once the fatwa was issued, Mr El-Er said local authorities did not object to the campaign as a way of promoting public health and safety. The Hamas-run health and agriculture ministries allowed veterinarians to carry out operations and purchase supplies and medicine, he said.
The Gaza City municipality provided land for a shelter earlier this year. Before that, Mr El-Er kept the rescued animals at his home and on two small tracts of land that he leased.
The new shelter currently houses around 200 dogs, many of them blind, bearing scars from abuse or missing limbs from being hit by cars. At least one was adjusting to walking with a prosthetic limb. A separate section holds cats in similar shape.
The group tries to find homes for the animals, but here too it faces both economic and cultural challenges. Very few Gazans would keep a dog as a pet, and there’s little demand for cats. Some people adopt the animals from abroad, sending money for their food and care.
Over the past decade, international animal welfare groups have carried out numerous missions to evacuate anguished animals from makeshift zoos in Gaza and relocate them to sanctuaries in the West Bank, Jordan and Africa.
But there are no similar campaigns for dogs and cats, and Gaza has been sealed off from all but returning residents since March to prevent a coronavirus outbreak.
Mr El-Er’s phone rang recently and the caller said a dog had been hit by a car. Volunteers from Sulala brought it back to the shelter on the back of a three-wheeled motorbike and began treating it. Mr El-Er says they receive around five such calls every day.
Amazing Rescue: Mother Dog and Puppies Discover Paradise on Lush Green Meadows, Escaping the Scorching Desert Sun!
When it comes to motherhood, animals can be just as nurturing and protective as humans. This was proven by a mama dog found in the middle of a 122-degree desert with her puppies. Fortunately, their heartwarming story has a happy ending.
The mama dog and her puppies were discovered by a group of hikers who were trekking through the desert. The puppies were huddled close to their mother, trying to find some shade and relief from the scorching heat.
Upon seeing the desperate situation of the family, the hikers called the local animal rescue team. The rescue team immediately responded and arrived at the scene to rescue the mama dog and her puppies.
The rescue team found the family in poor health, severely dehydrated, and malnourished. They immediately provided them with water and food to revive their strength. After assessing their condition, the rescue team transported them to a veterinary clinic for further examination and treatment.
It was at the veterinary clinic that the mama dog and her puppies experienced a simple yet life-changing moment – they saw grass for the first time! It was an emotional and heartwarming sight as the puppies started to frolic in the green grass, while the mama dog watched over them with a happy and contented look on her face.
The mama dog’s maternal instincts shone through, as she watched her puppies enjoy their newfound freedom and joy. The moment was a reminder that even the simplest things can bring joy and happiness to those in need.
After several days of treatment and rehabilitation, the mama dog and her puppies were given a clean bill of health. They were then transferred to a local animal shelter, where they would be available for adoption
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This incredible story of a mama dog and her puppies rescued from scorching desert heat is a reminder of the power of kindness and compassion. The hikers who discovered them and the rescue team who saved their lives demonstrated the true spirit of humanity. The mama dog’s love for her puppies and their joy in experiencing the simple pleasures of life are an inspiration to us all.
In conclusion, the story of the mama dog and her puppies found in the middle of a 122-degree desert is a testament to the resilience of animals and the compassion of humans. It’s a story of survival, hope, and the importance of kindness. The joyful reaction of the puppies to green grass for the first time is a reminder that even in the most difficult circumstances, happiness can be found in the simplest things.
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