By Nour El-Miligi
Fear swells past Beirut’s colossal explosion that devastated most of the capital, over missing lives and irreparable damage. Distraught families are still awaiting news of their missing loved ones as death tolls rise, while rescuers continue to comb through the wrecked buildings of the city in search for potential survivors. We can only attempt to share the immense pain that the victims are going through as they struggle to breathe under the rubble, knowing there are broken hearts weeping over their loss. But just imagine that there are other helpless lives, unable to process what happened and uncertain if someone will notice their disappearance? Human relief agencies rushed to help affected people, but is there any helping hand for the pets and animals of the city? Animal lives aren’t any less important, and they too deserve a chance.
In the wake of the tragic incident, humanity has indeed surfaced. Rest assured that rescuers did not only go searching for missing people, but for pets as well. Animals Lebanon, a Beirut-based animal protection NGO, in collaboration with the “International Fund for Animal Welfare” proceeded with ongoing search campaigns mainly for the lost and wounded animals, ensuring no animal is forgotten in the aftermath of the explosion.
Unfortunately, Animals Lebanon’s office was near Beirut’s port and suffered major damage; you can spot bloody paw prints and broken glass shards covering the whole area and injuring several animals inside. Yet, they directed their full concern and attention to providing veterinary treatment for the wounded as well as finding missing and injured pets. In addition to the rescue efforts, the office has provided a dispatch for owners to report lost pets or to inquire if their pet is among those already found by the team.
Rescue efforts are carried out 24/7 by the NGO where they search for wondering animals that lost their owners during the explosion, wounded and under ruble pets as well as shelter those who lost their owners to the blast. While at night, they continue to search for human souls.
Many animal lovers Lebanese citizens joined forces with the NGO volunteering to join the ongoing search and rescue efforts, working overtime to reunite lost pets and find wandering survivors. “We have had more than 40 people working in teams of two or three. So far, we found about 20 lost animals,” Animals Lebanon said in a statement.
Though the whole staff boiled down to five members, the number escalated dramatically when volunteers stepped in saving the scene. They’ve been keeping late hours working tirelessly in search of the animals and their noble efforts have clearly succeeded, reuniting plenty of lost pets with their owners. Teary eyes and joyful screams of owners when the NGO brings them back their furry friends are just heart-soothing.
Witnessing such humanitarian stories is a break in the clouds, and definitely emphasizes how kindness overrule at times of crisis. You can help have an impact and make a thoughtful contribution by donating to the charity through its website animalslebanon.org and to report a lost pet or darting around survivors, you can reach them through contact@animalslebanon.org.