How our work in Lebanon began with one very special wunderdog
Decades of miseducation has led to a culture of cruelty, neglect and violence. The levels of abuse in Lebanon is amongst the worst we’ve ever seen: dogs tied up and shot at close range; puppies thrown from balconies; life-threatening wounds inflicted for ‘sport’ or malicious curiosity.
Following the recent tragedy, and with the country already on the brink of civil war, life for these street dogs is about to get even worse. That’s why we’re shining a light on where our passion for the dogs of Lebanon began, and how we’re helping now.
Where it all began
Maggie is where our work in Lebanon began, with the sorry tale of a dog who had experienced more pain than any animal ever deserves.
Maggie was found tied up on the side of the road: both eyes had been shot out; one ear cut off; pregnant; and left for dead. Later, x-rays showed the true extent of abuse: Maggie’s skull was so peppered with pellets that it became clear she had been shot in the head over and over. There is no justifiable reason for this: this is not ‘sport’ or ‘target practice’, this is animal abuse.
So when we were contacted by an independent, local rescuer, we were only too happy to step in and raise the funds needed to treat Maggie and fly her to a new life here in the UK.
Not only did Maggie survive, against all the odds, but her story has reached the farthest corners of the dog-loving community. And for good reason, because Maggie’s legacy is one of love, inspiration and hope for so many dogs like her, who are still out there waiting to be rescued.
How we’re helping
Through Maggie’s story, thousands of people have come to learn the everyday reality for dogs in Lebanon. And with the recent tragedy placing further pressure on the economy and infrastructure, there is no time to waste.
When Maggie was found, she was pregnant and it was obvious this wasn’t her first litter. The severity of the abuse inflicted on her meant that her pregnancy had to be terminated; had she not been found, the birth alone could’ve killed her.
This is the reality for so many unsterilised dogs across Lebanon, where there just aren’t the resources needed to bring about lasting change. Here at Wild at Heart Foundation, we believe that sterilisation is the single most effective way of reducing stray populations, which is why we’re proud to be sponsoring sterilisation drives at the heart of Lebanon.
Beirut sterilisation campaign
Less than two weeks on from the explosion that rocked the city, Give Me A Paw have already organised weekly sterilisation drives and rallied the support of local volunteers. Now that there is a concentrated population of stray dogs in the Karantina region, close to the site of the explosion, the GMAP team are hopeful they’ll be able to sterilise as many dogs as possible.
But the costs of sterilisation in Lebanon are some of the highest we’ve seen, at £40 for a male and £75 for a female. It’s only with your support that we’ll be able to help fund this campaign and, with enough funding, we’ll be able to support them on a long term basis.
If you’d like to sponsor the cost of one sterilisation, your donation will go directly to saving a Lebanese dog from an endless cycle of breeding. You might even be saving the life of a dog like Maggie.
On behalf of Give Me A Paw, and the dogs of Lebanon, thank you.