We hear about the war in Syria almost every day. But have you ever thought about how does a war affect local animals and that the self-sacrifice must not always be made by an animal for humans, but it can also be the other way around? The person that I’m going to tell you about today, remained in the war zone to take care of the local cats.
Aleppo, the largest city in Syria, has since 2012 been almost a permanent war zone, where enemy forces strive to gain rule over the city. Therefore, it’s no wonder, that most inhabitants ran away from there in the effort to save their own lives.
Mohammad Alaa Jaleel told the BBC News that when people went away, cats started coming to him. He started with about twenty cats that the fleeing people have left in the city. Some of them just gave him the cats, because they knew that he loved them. A year later, he had more than a hundred of them. So, he founded a shelter known also as Il Gattaro d'Aleppo. They call him the “Cat man of Aleppo”.
One little girl who was handing his cat over to him in tears, asked him, whether he could send her some pictures of it. Mohammad assured her, that he will take care of the cat until she gets back home and he also really sends her pictures of the cat.
After all Mohammad’s friends left the city, his friends became the cats. He says that he will stay with them no matter what happens.
Take a look at a video:
Mohammad Alaa is not the only one, who stayed in the war zone to help animals. Despite of chaos and tragedies that take place in Syria, animal lovers founded an association called the Syrian Association for Rescuing Animals (SARA), which tries to save animals in the area. They take them home and they also have a farm for dogs in Damascus. Besides that, they also go to the streets to feed abandoned animals. They’ve also created an educative campaign for animals. They teach them love for dogs, so that they wouldn’t torture animals that live on the streets. Since they are the last hope of animals for life, they’ve decided, despite all danger and difficult searching for new homes or sponsors, to remain in Syria.
The organisation Animals Syria is trying to find homes in Europe for the animals saved by SARA. They also pay for their veterinary costs.
It is nice to see, that there are still some people today, who think more about others than about themselves.
According to some estimates, around 5-10 percent of all dogs can be partially or completely deaf. Apparently, dogs with white coats are more prone to deafness. Even though it does not affect only older dogs, it is not a topic that is often discussed....
Nowadays, it is common for town cats as well as village cats to be castrated. The reasons are understandable and people have fortunately moved away from the old-fashioned tradition of drowning kittens. But what to expect from castration, especially in...
It is said that a dog is a man's best friend Recent research therefore tends to focus on how dogs think and what they perceive during specific moments. The diversity of their thinking is based on the fact that dogs have gradually become involved in...
Fetching is a favourite activity for many dogs. Some dogs have it in their genes. Others must be shown how it is done before they start enjoying it. As with all other commands, positive motivation and rewarding are important. How to go about it?
The Czech Republic had the honour of taking on the host role and providing a venue for the World Dog Show organised for exhibitors, breeders and dog breed enthusiasts. It was agreed among the visitors that the event was successful. As a venue for the...
Do you find it hard to decide when there's so much to choose from? If you're like me, it's best to try out the harness first before you buy it for your four-legged friend. Today, the selection of dog harnesses is truly varied. There are harnesses for...
Autumn is here. And with it comes the flu season. Colds and other ailments associated with this time of the year do not only affect people, but also their four-legged friends. Especially widespread and highly dangerous in case of non-treatment is the...
Breed registry, pedigree, bonitation, bonitation card or bonitation commission, exterior, breeding certification - these are all terms that you will inevitably encounter if you want to have a 'certified' dog, namely a dog with a pedigree. What...
These little creatures, which we have adopted as full-fledged pets, the same as cats and dogs, are much more interesting than seems at first glance. What are the five peculiarities associated with the most numerous order of mammals, which every...
Gastric torsion is the nightmare of all dog owners. According to statistics, in three out of five cases gastric torsion happens at night. This is a very serious illness with a mortality rate of 30-40 percent. In order to prevent gastric torsion, it's...
The events of recent weeks have reaffirmed the importance of cynologists in rescue teams. The rescuers' four-legged partners help search not only in rubble after natural disasters but also track missing or injured persons in inaccessible terrain. Now...
How to give first aid to your pet? We often don't find out until something happens. Fortunately, there are more and more courses for complete laypersons. During these specialized seminars or webinars, owners of four-legged friends can find out the...
