Sulala

In the war-torn streets of Gaza, amid the constant bombardments, an often-overlooked population of cats and dogs is being kept alive by a relentless band of volunteers determined to keep these animals safe and – eventually – reunite the beloved pets with their stricken families. Since the October 7 attack and Israel’s retaliatory bombardments on the besieged enclave, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have been forced to flee their homes. In their wake, they have left behind not only belongings and memories but also, for many, their dogs, cats, horses, and donkeys, who now roam the devastated landscape, largely forgotten. Silent witness to ravages of war Almost ten months ago, before the war, a dog shelter was built in Zeitoun, north Gaza. Run by Gaza’s sole animal charity, Sulala Animal Rescue was the size of a basketball court, with indoor and outdoor play areas and kennels, housing some 400 strays. What was once a haven for rescued animals, complete with a cooling pool to escape the searing Middle Eastern sun, now stands empty – a silent witness to the ravages of war, its former residents’ fate unknown. When warned of bomb threats and evacuation orders by Israel’s government, the animal rescue’s owner, Saeed Al Err, and many of the center’s volunteers were forced to flee, with many of the dogs left to return to the streets from where they were rescued. A sanctuary lost Annelies Keuleers, a volunteer for Sulala in Gaza, explained to Al Arabiya English how painful the decision was to leave. “When the ground invasion started, we had to leave that shelter behind with the doors open so the dogs could run. We left 20 bags of 30kg of food behind with small holes in it so the dogs would eat it slowly, and unfortunately, we couldn’t do more,” she said. “We had an employee close to the dog shelter, and when the Israelis gave the evacuation order – that all the people in the north of Gaza must evacuate to the south – the employee decided to stay on because most of the bombings were in the city and the shelter was outside the city. So, he thought it would be safe for a while.” “Once the invasion started, and he and his children were forced to shelter in a school, that’s when we had to leave the dogs behind. We know those dogs are roaming Gaza now, but we can’t reach the shelter, so we don’t know what happened to it until now,” she added. According to Keuleers, a further three cat shelters in Al Zahra and Nuserirat – each housing some 40 strays – were either destroyed by bombing or abandoned after evacuation orders. They are among “thousands – if not tens of thousands” of beloved pets and strays that have been left behind in the ongoing conflict, Keuleers says. She said, like much of Gaza’s population, surviving animals are suffering from a lack of food and basic supplies due to blockades limiting the entry of vital supplies into the enclave. Like much of the Gaza Strip, the risk of disease is also sky-high among lost pets and stray animals. Impact of displacement on animal welfare Keuleers described it as incredibly difficult to determine the true number of pets missing or separated from their owners since the conflict began, citing the massive exodus of the human population as a factor. “It is impossible to provide an accurate estimate as 85 percent of the population of Gaza is displaced – that’s about 1.9 million people,” she said. While some Palestinian families managed to take their cats to their new shelters and tents, these animals face new challenges. “As these cats don’t have access to their regular food and have been forced to eat bread, many of them have become sick,” she said. “Dogs are not taken to shelters at all because usually dogs are not allowed inside the houses in Gaza, so they can’t live between the displaced in schools,” Keuleers further explained. “Some people have been able to find spots they can take their dogs to, but often, these animals have to be tied up all day, so they don’t run away. But we can’t provide any accurate estimate because there is no official count on these topics. Communication in Gaza is cut most of the time, and Sulala can’t reach most of the Gaza Strip because of the limitations on movement.” Challenges faced by pet owners and rescuers Pet owners who managed to escape Gaza with their animals continue to face significant challenges. “Most importantly, providing food for the animals is very difficult because animal food is not entering Gaza. Only very limited types of canned foods are entering Gaza. So many are feeding their animals canned meat for humans, mixing it with rice or bread. And, of course, all food is very expensive,” Keuleers said. “Also, since people are living in tents in refugee camps, it is very difficult to take care of and hold onto your pet there without the safety of a house with four walls and a garden that is closed off, so they can’t run. Many owners get separated from their animals. In these chaotic times, even many children got lost. So, imagine how it goes with pets?” she further said. The lack of veterinary care and an inability to move freely around Gaza only add to the complications. “Veterinarians are, like other people, busy surviving and most of them are not working as usual. So, the supply is limited, and most people don’t know where to find veterinary care. Often, they can’t afford it as they’re spending their life savings on meeting the most urgent needs for food and shelter.” “People can’t move around the Gaza Strip as before; many roads are too dangerous, and others are blocked by rubble. It is difficult for people going around to meet most of their basic needs. The same goes for the needs of their pets.” Aside from the lost pets and animals left to roam the streets, a significant number has also been killed – either by bombs, starvation, or disease – adding to the deadly daily toll caused by the armed conflict. “Unfortunately, there is no official count and we can’t count this, but the number is in the tens of thousands, especially if we include working animals like horses and donkeys that have been becoming sick and dropping dead as the result of harder work,” said Keuleers. Despite the growing challenges and hurdles, Sulala continues to battle to support the displaced animals. They have managed to receive a shipment of food and also set up a veterinary point in Rafah, offering free treatment to the animals of the displaced. “We are going on tours through refugee camps with our veterinarian to treat the animals of the displaced, and we take the ones that owners can’t take care of anymore,” said Keuleers. “We are receiving calls about injured stray animals, so we will pick them up if we can reach the area.” However, resources are fast depleting. “We received a shipment of food at the end of April. So for a while, we were able to distribute pet food to the animals’ owners. But unfortunately, we’ve had to stop doing that because we don’t have enough anymore. We are receiving a lot of calls about animals needing treatment, so we are doing our best.” In the northern part of the Gaza Strip – much of which has been bulldozed and bombed by Israel and where access is severely restricted – Sulala has had to adapt its approach. “We can’t reach the north, but the north used to be the commercial hub in Gaza. So, there was a lot of animal food stock there that got left behind during the evacuation,” explained Keuleers. “Also, some people stayed back in the north or returned when they couldn’t find safety in the south. We are in touch with a volunteer there. We transfer his money, and he then buys pet food that is still there to distribute to the displaced.” “Most people can’t afford it because the prices are so high, so we try to help out this way.” Keuleers said, that at the beginning of the war, Sulala had hopes for a ceasefire and had developed an evacuation plan for stray dogs. “Sulala had gathered a team and a plan for when it would be possible to go to the north to pick up all the wounded animals there. It had a plan for which cars to use and who would take which route. But, over time, that hope has faded. We haven’t been able to access the north in nine months. If we would want to, we would need a permit from the Israelis and possibly the involvement of the Red Cross to mediate,” she said. “In December, we launched an initiative, asking our followers to email COGAT, the Israeli coordination office for activities in the Occupied Territories. We asked for the entry of animal food and a permit to rescue animals in high-risk areas, but we never received a response,” Keuleers said. Like much of Gaza, each day brings a sense of urgency for the enclave’s animal population. The need for a ceasefire and unimpeded access to animal food and veterinary supplies are critical. As the conflict continues, these animals face similar threats as their human counterparts: Hunger, disease, and the constant fear of bombardment. As Keuleers said: “Animals in Gaza need the urgent unimpeded access of animal food. Dry food, canned food, bird food, horse and donkey food. This is the most urgent need, together with the urgent need for access to veterinary supplies.” “After that, of course, animals need a ceasefire since they are suffering tremendous stress from the constant sound of bombing and drones, together with their human owners.” Keuleers said the conflict has also brought ‘war opportunists,’ capitalizing on the plight of Palestinians – and their former pets. “Sulala is the only organization that had shelters before the war. Since the war, some opportunists have been showing up on social media, claiming they’ve always been animal rescuers and claiming they’ve always had shelters, though that isn’t true. We are the only organization that has built animal shelters.” Keuleers further said: “During the war, many different profiles popped up. There is this page called ‘animal care group’– and they never existed before the war. They are asking for donations. So, we think they are doing it for money. Amid the devastation, there are glimmers of hope, too. Keuleers shared some heartwarming stories: “Eight dogs found Saeed just by following his scent – or just by coincidence. This is amazing,” she said. “Saeed also found a dog in the central area that belongs to a friend in the north of Gaza, after this friend got displaced, and the dog got lost. He saw the German Shepherd walking around and stopped and said, ‘Hey that’s my friend’s dog’. He took the dog and fed him, and that dog has since been reunited with its owner.” While Sulala volunteers are, at present, “too busy with providing medical treatment and addressing the most urgent needs” of animals, they eventually hope to start reuniting lost pets with their owners. “We have received some messages from people in Gaza, asking to post pictures of their lost pets on social media with their phone numbers and asking them to reach out if they see them,” she said. “But we don’t have any updates on whether these efforts have been successful.” “After the war, we would love to launch an initiative to reunite pets with their owners. I imagine social media and the internet will play a big role in that,” Keuleers said. As the conflict continues, there is just no end in sight to the plight of Gaza’s animals. The World Federation of Animals highlights the broader impact of war on animals: “Companion animals can also be victims of war, being killed, maimed, or abandoned. In times of extreme food shortages, they have been euthanized because owners could not feed them, or were even eaten by their owners or other people in the community.” Emphasizing the importance of continued international attention, Keuleers said: “Please keep talking about Gaza and don’t forget about the animals. They are also living and breathing souls who feel fear and pain. Remind those around you, and especially your governments, that animals are not the only ones who are suffering. Keep talking about us and ask your governments to put pressure for a ceasefire.”