• Reaching Out, From Houston To Ethiopia
• HAPS & Dr. Anteneh Roba Save Dogs Cast Into Deep Pit

11/2/07, From Dr. Anteneh Roba, 713-213-5952, AAmsale@aol.com — My name is Anteneh. I’ve been involved in a rescue of dogs from a cave in Ethiopia. After the rescue they lived at the only shelter for unwanted animals, HOMELESS ANIMAL PROTECTION SOCIETY (HAPS).

Unfortunately due to lack of funds they are closing down their operation. With nowhere to go, dogs who survived without food or water for 2 months thrown into a cave about 20 to 30-feet deep…were about to end up killed or homeless.

So, I decided to get them to the USA for adoption, but also to raise awareness about the terrible plight of animals in Africa and see if I can get money to help reopen the only shelter for homeless animals in Ethiopia. Anything you can do to help is appreciated.

• Amsale Gessesse Memorial Foundation
  223 Westheimer Road / Houston, TX 77006
  DONATE ONLINE: amsalefoundation.org/Donations.htm
  BECOME A HAPS SPONSOR: To donate $5,000 or more, contact Dr. Anteneh Roba, aamsale@aol.com


• Homeless Animals Protection Society (HAPS)
  Bole Sub City, Kebele 14 / 15 House No 499
  P.O. Box 2495 / Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
  phone: 251 11 654 47 56 / 11 645 54 32
  email: info@haps-eth.org.et, haps-eth@ethionet.et
  Registered Charity No 731

11/1/07, For Information Contact Dr. Anteneh Roba, 713-213-5952, AAmsale@aol.com, www.amsalefoundation.org — The four dogs who narrowly escaped a slow painful death from dehydration and starvation in Ethiopia arrived in Houston on October 27 accompanied by Efrem Legese, co-founder/president, Homeless Animals Protection Society (HAPS).

That evening, 70 friends celebrated their arrival at a fundraiser at which Mr. Legese was the guest of honor. Proceeds from the dinner will cover the cost of the dogs’ transportation and benefit HAPS… At the dinner two documentary films were shown. The first, Animals of Ethiopia, demonstrated the great variety of wildlife found in Ethiopia, and the second, Gido Cave Rescue, told the story of the rescue of the four dogs, named Haley, Tommy, Maria, and Hana, who arrived in Houston earlier that day.

The film documented the rescue of dogs from the infamous Gido Cave by Homeless Animal Protection Society with assistance from Amsale Gessesse Memorial Foundation in July 2007. If they hadn’t been rescued, they would have died slowly and painfully from dehydration and starvation. The Gido Cave, a deep pit with steep walls and a canopy-like top built by Italians during the 1930’s, has long been used to dump 20 to 30 unwanted dogs each month.

Ethiopian television broadcast the rescue nationwide. As a result of publicity, and at the request of the Amsale Gessesse Memorial Foundation and the Homeless Animal Protection Society of Ethiopia, the government permanently closed the cave two weeks later. The rescue was memorialized in a song One Small Dog, by British singer/songwriter Maria Daines, to call international attention to the plight of Ethiopian dogs and raise funds.

The four rescued dogs were brought to the HAPS facilities and examined by a veterinarian, spayed-neutered, vaccinated, wormed, and put up for adoption. Unfortunately, just when things were looking up for these animals, the HAPS facility faced closure due to lack of funds. Should HAPS close, these and more animals will suffer gruesome death from strychnine, the drug most commonly used for euthanasia in Ethiopia.

To prevent a cruel demise for creatures who’d already escaped death once, the Amsale Gessesse Memorial Foundation undertook a public education and fundraising campaign to bring the four dogs to the U.S. and keep HAPS open. Long range funding is necessary to create a state-of-the-art animal hospital with six surgical rooms, an educational and community outreach center, and a shelter that can accommodate 50 to 60 dogs.

This facility will also function as a teaching center for animal and veterinary professionals from all over Africa, educating them to perform medical procedures and teach the latest information about animal welfare.

• MAIL CHECK OR MONEY ORDER:
  Amsale Gessesse Memorial Foundation
  223 Westheimer Road / Houston, TX 77006
  
  DONATE ONLINE: amsalefoundation.org/Donations.htm
  
  BECOME A HAPS SPONSOR: To donate $5,000 or more, contact Dr. Anteneh Roba, Amsale Gessesse Memorial Foundation, aamsale@aol.com

Proceeds from the fundraising dinner (10/27/07) raised only a fraction of the money necessary to pay for the dogs’ trip to the United States for adoption and keep HAPS open to expand its vital work to the whole of Ethiopia. Additional private and corporate sponsorships are immediately needed to continue this important work.

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