Volunteers risk their lives to rescue pets of displaced Lebanese during strike in Beirut Volunteers risk their lives to rescue pets in a bombed-out area of southern Beirut. Lebanese displaced by shelling in Isareli are calling on volunteers to bring back their beloved pets from their destroyed homes.
Maggie Shaarawi, vice president of Animals Lebanon Charity, one of the rescue workers, said the stress of the bombing was making it difficult to rescue cats from hiding.
“Our goal is just to go in, rescue and leave,” she told AFP.
Shaarawi and two others helped residents in Beirut’s southern suburbs retrieve eight traumatized cats on Thursday.
Before leaving, the woman wearing a white scarf showed others on a video call the living room where she had gathered Fifi, Leo, Blackie, Teddy, Thanda, Ziki, Kitty and Masha. She seemed worried and wanted everyone to know where her pet was.
“We were able to find everyone,” Shaarawi said.
Two petrified felines were rescued from a home today. The cats were found hiding under a green velvet sofa. Rescuers managed to lure the cats out and gently placed each cat in a holding box.
A significant number of evacuees chose to take their pets with them during recent evacuations. A teenager was seen holding a ginger cat while fleeing a southern village this week.
Despite official evacuation advisories, many residents decided to stay home because of their pets. “Some people ignore evacuation orders to be with their pets,” Shaarawi said.
Despite a recent close call from an Israeli airstrike, volunteers led by Shaarawi returned to the southern suburbs on Friday to rescue more pets. The area is under heavy shelling.
“When a cat is scared, it turns into a tiger,” Shaarawi said, noting that cats become very excited when they are scared.
The team parked their car on the outskirts of a Hezbollah stronghold and proceeded for a while on mopeds to avoid danger.
Shaarawi explained the situation and emphasized that trauma is common to both animals and humans. “War traumatizes both animals and humans. They are bombed every day and they don’t know what’s happening.”
She explained that pets are often left waiting for their owners, who may never return. During a mission to rescue three cats on Thursday, the team discovered that one had already died.
The ongoing conflict leaves pets vulnerable and their rescuers at grave risk. Volunteers remain dedicated to reuniting animals with their families despite the difficult circumstances.
Since September 23, Israel has stepped up airstrikes against the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. According to Lebanese sources, these attacks have killed more than 1,000 people and displaced more than 1 million people. (Information provided by AFP)
Volunteers risk their lives to rescue pets of displaced Lebanese during Beirut strike
