Bethlehem & Gaza
We are proud to have worked with two partner shelters in Bethlehem and Gaza, where their stray dog population has reached crisis point. Dogs wander the streets in heartbreaking states of ill health. Without the infrastructure to cope, people are turning to cruel and ineffective last resorts, such as lethal poisoning and live ammunition. That is why we are always keen to supply support and continue an effective and compassionate relationship.
Wild at Heart Foundation recognises the shared mission of two shelters working tirelessly on the front line. Like us, both Bethlehem Animal Shelter and Sulala Society for Animal Care are keen to find long-term solutions. It is important to us that projects such as these have a lasting impact and we ensure that our funding contributions are distributed where they will supply the greatest results. For Bethlehem and Gaza, this means emergency aid relief and sterilisation; the most effective and compassionate solution to an ever-increasing stray dog population.
In early 2020, we sent an emergency donation to cover an urgent need for supplies in response to the detrimental impact of Covid-19, and in 2021, we fundraised to provide relief to both shelters. In an incredibly difficult political climate, the voice of the animals is often overlooked. We shared this message to aid and support the selfless work of our partner shelters, endeavouring to offer them some relief.
Bethlehem Animal Shelter
Bethlehem Animal Shelter
Bethlehem Animal Shelter is the first and only one of its kind in the West Bank area. Therefore, the care and shelter it provides are very much in demand and is always running at maximum capacity.
The team of local and international volunteers is headed up by the wonderful Diana, who left her job in 2017 to focus full-time on rescuing and rehoming the abused, abandoned, and neglected strays of Bethlehem.
Built in 2014, the shelter’s mission has always been to reduce the suffering of stray animals and to advocate for humane solutions, such as rescue, rehabilitation, and rehoming. The shelter also advocates for the compassionate, ethical method of sterilisation as a means of getting to the root of Bethlehem’s problem; a route that we continue to support them with.
Sulala Society for Animal Care
Sulala Society for Animal Care
Sulala is in Gaza, where there is a serious need for more of their kind. Like so many overseas shelters, Sulala is dangerously underfunded and lacks the support of any lawful legislation – for the teams on the ground, it can often feel like they are fighting a losing battle with so many stray animals needing food, water, and medical care.
Our emergency donation was much needed considering the exacerbating impact that Covid-19 has had on so many shelters around the world. This has gone some way in supporting Sulala with essential supplies. But there is more to be done.
If a regular donation towards a specific project is set up and we subsequently cease to provide support in the future, any recurring donations will be allocated to the areas of our other work requiring the most support.