Middle East Needs & News

GULF COAST • RELIEF GLOBAL • ACTION • DISASTER RELIEF HOME

7/22/06: [LEBANON] Same Eyes, Same Fear
Disaster Rescue Needs & News
TO SEE PAST NEWSLETTERS, VISIT:
http://www.kinshipcircle.org/disasters/default.html

ANIMAL ISSUE OF THE WEEK
NON-DISASTER ALERT: Dark-Age Dog Labs at Wisconsin College
Take action: http://www.kinshipcircle.org/letter_library/letter.asp?LetterID=1486&seriesfirst=true

IN THIS ALERT:

IN THE NEWS

Let Pets Out Of Lebanon: Rights Group

Photos Of Animals In Lebanon

War In Lebanon – Animal Alert

PETA Calls On S. African Government To Let Evacuees Take Animals

Mideast Crisis – Blog From Jerusalem

For Young U.S. Evacuee, Concern For A Pet Frog

Resources In War-Torn Middle East

With all we’ve seen and done in the GulfCoast, this is like some sort of morbid deja vu. Different country. Different culture and language -- but the same eyes, the same skin and bones, the same waiting and hoping. And each one rips your heart out. So you cling to your own a little more tightly and pray, once again, for the ones left behind. -Kinship Circle

IN THE NEWS

HSUS URGES EVACUATION OF PETS FROM LEBANON
SOURCE:
http://www.hsus.org/press_and_publications/press_releases/hsus_urges_lebanon_pet_evacuation.html

"Refusing to allow pets and service animals onboard aircraft and boats leaving Lebanon will likely hamper the effort to safely evacuate American citizens," said Wayne Pacelle, HSUS president and CEO. Pacelle pointed to a Zogby International poll that found 49 percent of adults said they would not evacuate a dangerous situation if they couldn't take their pets with them. The HSUS is contacting officials at The White House, State Department and Department of Defense to urge a reversal of the no-pets policy...
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HUMANE SOCIETY INTERNATIONAL ISSUES RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR LEBANON EVACUEES WITH PETS
SOURCE:
http://www.hsus.org/press_and_publications/press_releases/hsi_recommendations_lebanon_evacuees.html

WASHINGTON - As Americans and others flee the embattled nation of Lebanon, Humane Society International (HSI) is offering specific advice for those faced with having to leave their pets behind. "If it's not safe for you, it's not safe for your pet," said Neil Trent, executive director of HSI. "If possible, we hope everyone facing this dilemma will find a way to transport their pet(s) to safety."

If international and military rescue operations continue to require evacuees to abandon their companion animals, there are a few crucial steps they should take. Pets who are turned loose or left behind to fend for themselves are likely to become victims of the conflict, HSI specialists say. The best solution for those that cannot take their animals with them is to ask friends and family members who are staying behind to temporarily care for the animals. Those without such an option can contact the Beirut- based animal protection organization BETA to explore additional options...
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TELL U.S. LEADERS TO LET AMERICAN EVACUEES
TAKE ANIMAL COMPANIONS OUT OF LEBANON
SOURCE: http://ga0.org/campaign/Lebanon/xndg562htnkb5w

IDA ACTION ALERT: As armed conflict escalates in the Middle East, the U.S. government has arranged to transport the approximately 25,000 Americans living in Lebanon out of the embattled country by way of Cyprus. However, they have callously ordered evacuees to leave their animal companions behind in the combat zone to die. Please "Take Action" to urge your Senators and Representative to take immediate action to allow Americans to take their animals with them as they leave Lebanon...
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AID FOR BOMBED ANIMAL SHELTER IN BEIRUT
SOURCE: Zelda <zpenzel@nyc.rr.com>, listserver@wspa-usa.org
http://www.wspa-usa.org/

WSPA has released funds to aid an animal shelter that was partially destroyed by a missile during the conflict in Lebanon, leaving 200 dogs and cats vulnerable and in need of food and veterinary care. The shelter, run by WSPA Member Society Beirut for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (BETA) is located on the border of Dahye, a suburb where many of the attacks are taking place.

Many of the animals are visibly suffering due to ongoing noise and destruction, and the necessary goods to care for them are becoming expensive and harder to find.

WSPA's support will enable BETA to provide food and veterinary care to the animals, as well as temporarily re-home dogs who were left without shelter due to the missile strike. “By supporting our group on the ground in Beirut we can help to ensure that animals are not suffering or forgotten during this conflict,” said WSPA Disaster Management Directore Mark Yates. “Fortunately WSPA had a team in the area that was able to assess the situation and advise how best we could help.”

BETA and WSPA will continue to assist the animal victims of this ongoing conflict. “Despite being unable to fundraise and the dangers of working in this area, BETA continues to demonstrate a real determination to care for these animals,” Yates said. “WSPA will do all it can to support both them and its other Member Societies working tirelessly in both Lebanon and Israel.” BETA has also received funds from WSPA Member Society the Humane Society International (HSI) and Fondation Brigitte Bardot.
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HAVE YOU CONTACTED U.S., U.K. AND CANADIAN OFFICIALS, DEMANDING ANIMAL COMPANIONS BOARD AIRCRAFT AND BOATS EVACUATING LEBANON?
SOURCE: http://www.KinshipCircle.org

REQUEST SAMPLE LETTER: Lebanon Evacuations - NO PETS ALLOWED! at kinshipcircle@accessus.net

2. Let Pets Out Of Lebanon: Rights Group
SOURCE: http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,19850320-23109,00.html

From: Agence France-Presse / From correspondents in Washington
July 20, 2006--THE US military ought to let those evacuating Lebanon bring their pets, an animal rights group said today. Unlike the French, which made provisions for animal evacuations, US military commanders are ordering evacuees who brought their dogs, cats, birds and other pets to leave them behind, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said.

"Apparently French generals are able to deal with a child holding a five-pound rabbit and the US military is not," PETA President Ingrid Newkirk said.

In a letter to the evacuation operation's commander, PETA said its office had been flooded with calls on behalf of "desperate" Americans in Lebanon.

"Even elderly residents – who, in some cases, have suffered amid the rubble for days, just so that they could safeguard animals whom they consider to be members of their families – are being told that they must leave their animals behind to starve to death," the letter said.

"People are upset enough without this complication. And America can surely do better."

PETA said policy on animal evacuations was supposed to have changed after Hurricane Katrina, when scores of people refused to evacuate New Orleans without their pets and thousands of forcibly abandoned animals died.

The US government recently reversed its policy of charging evacuees for repatriation costs amid a public outcry. The Government has come under criticism for the speed of its response, which has lagged behind that of European nations that evacuated their citizens without charge.

3. Photos Of Animals In Lebanon
SOURCE: joelle_k@idm.net.lb

joelle_k@idm.net.lb writes, 7/22: Sorry for not having replied to all your emails in the last couple of days. It is because we were all very busy moving the dogs from the shelter to the new safe location while doing some works there: cleaning, construction, repairs, fencing...

Yesterday ALL our dogs were moved there. The pictures show how much work the new place needs but our main concern was to move the dogs from their previous shelter away from the danger of death near the bombings. We have reached our goal. The dogs are now safe. Also, new rescues started. Yesterday, 3 dogs (2 puppies and 1 adult) have joined their furry friends in the new shelter.

Now our next step is to continue the hard works on the new location in order to make it a good and comfortable place for them and of course to pick up any abandoned pet we encounter on the streets and shelter them.

MORE PHOTOS: http://beta.beirut.com/viewNew.php?ID=212

Joelle Kanaan, Co-Founder, BETA
Beirut for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (BETA)
Beirut, Lebanon
http://beta.beirut.com

4. War In Lebanon – Animal Alert
SOURCE: BETA, http://animals.beirut.com/index.php

War in Lebanon threatens the lives of hundreds of rescued animals
2006-07-18

Beirut for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (BETA) is a registered charity actively working on animal welfare issues in Lebanon.

Since its inception, BETA has been at the forefront of the battle to ensure animals are respected and cared for in Lebanon. Now a registered NGO, BETA has rescued over 500 stray and abused cats and dogs, founded Lebanon’s first cat and dog shelters while spaying / neutering almost half of its rescued animals. A pioneer in its field, BETA has also found homes for many of its rescued animals. We now have three separate shelters caring for more than 130 dogs and 100 cats.

As we hope you are all aware, sadly the country of Lebanon is now at war. The country is under attack and in the last two days the only international airport has been completely destroyed, foreign warships are now stationed in its sea ports, and the main roads to Syria are now in ruins. Lebanon is effectively cut off from the rest of the world, it is nearly impossible to enter or leave the country and trade has come to a halt.

The necessary goods to care for our animals are becoming more difficult to find, and what is available is now becoming more expensive due to their scarcity.

BETA and the animals in its care urgently need your help. With the country shut down, all of our in-country fundraising projects have been forced to stop.

Many of us are quite literally risking our lives to visit each shelter and care for the animals early in the morning and again before nightfall. The dog shelter is located on the border of Dahye (a block street from Dahye), a suburb where many of the attacks are taking place. The shelter is in sustained danger and many of the dogs are visibly suffering due to the ongoing noise and near destruction. Trips to our cat shelters take us through a large part of Beirut and the attacks and destruction continue making this more difficult and dangerous.

We urgently need funding to get the animals through this period, most of our normal fundraising options have been forced to stop, and we are now calling on you to help support these animals. While cash donations will be the most effective to get us through these days, we are also in need of cat and dog food as well as cat litter. Our vet is still donating his services for free but donations of medications are extremely helpful.

While we realize this is a trying time for all people in Lebanon, we do ask that you assist with this urgent appeal and recognize the importance of the lives of these animals. Thank you for your support and with your help these animals will be able to get through this without having to suffer more than they already have.

DONATIONS TO BETA
ONLINE DONATIONS: http://beta.beirut.com/donate.php

BANK TRANSFER: For bank details and more information on how to help, contact:
maggy_sha@yahoo.com, joelle_k@idm.net.lb, animals@beirut.com

"We exist solely on the kindness of your adoptions, donations and assistance" – BETA team
http://animals.beirut.com/index.php

Jay, a rescued orphan kitten from one of Beirut tunnels, is now in a caring home.
Age: Less than 1 year. http://animals.beirut.com/view_animal.php?ID=457

joelle_k@idm.net.lb of BETA writes, 7/20: Unfortunately this is the actual EXTREMELY sad situation. Not only the Canadians but many other embassies are not allowing any pets being evacuated outside Lebanon with their guardians. As a result, foreigners are leaving the country without their pets, releasing them on the streets and most of the time in dangerous areas, being bombed, or even worse locking them inside the houses where no one can reach to them and these animals are left to die a slow and painful death, having to face the utmost fear.

The new place we have found for our dogs is quite big and we will pick up any animal that we see on the street and shelter them with our rescued dogs and cats. This is HORRIBLE as animals are being abandoned in thousands and unfortunately many of them will die before any of BETA rescuers reach them or they will even disappear and hide in unknown place.

IT IS A MUST THAT THE WAR ENDS NOW!!!!
Joelle Kanaan, Co-Founder, Beirut for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (BETA)
Beirut, Lebanon * Web: http://beta.beirut.com

5. PETA Calls On S. African Government To Let Lebanon Evacuees Take Their Cats, Dogs, Birds With Them
SOURCE: Ingrid Newkirk, ingridn@peta.org
http://www.albawaba.com/en/countries/Lebanon/200994

We [PETA] are delivering French fries to Pres Bush today with another shame on you appeal. No official word anywhere yet even though General Honore, from Katrina, says he’s put a word in.

Press in Jordan this a.m. (7/20): Today, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) sent an urgent plea to Siyabonga Ponco, chargé d’affaires of the South African Embassy in Cairo, urging him to permit South African nationals who are currently being evacuated from war-torn Lebanon to take their companion animals with them rather than forcing them to abandon their animals in the rubble to starve. PETA’s plea stems from an e-mail which Ponco sent to the organisation in which he suggested that evacuees with animals should “not demand more than they could be given”.

This statement suggests that Ponco considers helping South African citizens to take their beloved cats, dogs and birds with them unlikely, even though French forces have made provisions for animal evacuations.

“It’s unconscionable that the South African government would condemn citizens’ beloved animal companions to a horrible death when they can easily be included in evacuation plans”, says PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk. “We’re asking South Africa to take immediate steps to recognise that animals are part of some people’s families and that this betrayal will never be forgotten.”

PETA has made a similar plea to the military commander in charge of evacuating US citizens from Lebanon. © 2006 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)

6. Mideast Crisis – Blog From Jerusalem
SOURCE: http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/060719/19mideastblog.htm

By Orly Halpern, 7/19/06
JERUSALEM — I got a press release yesterday from AHAVA (a Hebrew acronym for 'People for Saving Animals in the Middle East' / a Hebrew acronym for ‘Heart for Animals’). The Kiryat Tivon-based organization knows no borders. Not only are its volunteers distributing dishes of water and food around the streets of the north of Israel for thirsty cats that were left behind by their families who did not expect to be gone so long. Now, they are trying to save dogs in Beirut and cows in Marjayoun in southern Lebanon.

"We got a call from someone in Germany who told us that the owner of a kennel in Beirut is abandoning the city and leaving the dogs behind," said Tamara More, the voluntary CEO of the organization. "We're trying to find a way to evacuate the animals."

Unfortunately, fear of Hezbollah is preventing the rescue operation from taking place. "We told him we'd send a boat to the coast of Beirut," More told me, sounding somewhat harried over the phone. "But the man said he was afraid Hezbollah would kill him if they saw him transferring them [to Israelis]."

While people across northern Israel, southern Lebanon, and Beirut leave their homes for other parts of their country to save their own lives, many are concerned about the animals they left behind during the sweltering heat of a Middle Eastern summer. In Safed, a town in northern Israel that has been hit by Hezbollah's Katyusha rockets, families who are now staying in underground bunkers called the local police station from their cellular phones to ask the policemen to go to their homes and feed their pets. The policemen agreed.

In Haifa, the streets are practically empty. Most of the city's residents are staying in their homes or bunkers. But the employees of the Haifa Educational Zoo continue to go to work to feed the animals, which are now being kept around the clock in their cement sleeping quarters in order to prevent possible injuries from falling rockets.

"We play with them and try to keep them calm," said Etty Ararat, the zoo's director. "But, the baboons are going stir-crazy. They look at us like they are asking 'What is going on?'"

Many Israelis who raise livestock refuse to leave their homes, praying the Katyusha rockets won't fall on them. "We have 150 calves," said Geula Feldinger, a tough mother of four from Sde Yaakov, an Israeli farming community. "One of our neighbors has a dairy farm and another has a chicken coop. No one is leaving. If we do, our animals will die."

In south Lebanon's villages, farmers don't have much choice. The Israeli military has called for them to leave their homes in order not to be injured by the attacks on Hezbollah targets. AHAVA is now asking the Army not to bomb pastures, stables, and dairy farms. "We are very worried; their situation is difficult," More told me.

AHAVA, which has done many cross-border rescues in the past, plans to coordinate with the Israeli Army the transfer of Lebanese animals across the border. "The animals are not terrorists," said the overworked volunteer. "If people will be willing to come to the border to pass their animals to us, we will take them—even the injured ones—and return them whenever they want."

7. For Young U.S. Evacuee, Concern For A Pet Frog
SOURCE: http://msnbc.msn.com/id/13937862/

Americans leaving Lebanon on first U.S.-chartered ship feel anxiety, relief REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK / By Kerry Sanders, Correspondent, NBC News July 19, 2006

BEIRUT, Lebanon — As I stood at the port in Beirut on Wednesday watching the desperation on so many faces as they waited to board the Orient Queen cruise liner, I couldn’t help but have a smile on my face for one fleeting moment.

The reason? I had just met one young boy who reached into his bag and showed me who he was bringing out of Lebanon to the safety of Cyprus: a pet frog named “Spitfire.”

While they weren’t supposed to bring any animals on the ship, the tiny pet wasn't noticed. The young boy’s primary concern was to be able to set “Spitfire,” which he had found here in Lebanon, free in Cyprus. All he really wanted to do was to make sure his pet frog would be safe.

It was a moment of lightness as over 1,000 Americans boarded the Orient Queen in the first large-scale evacuation of Americans out of Lebanon since Israeli airstrikes started more than a week ago.

A sense of relief For many of the Americans leaving Beirut, there was sense of high anxiety finally being tempered by relief.

Teresa Douglas was making her way home to Memphis after an interrupted vacation with her Canadian boyfriend, who was being evacuated by his government.

“On one hand it was best thing that could happen — that we could both be called up at the same time — and on the other hand the worst thing to be separated,” Douglas said. "Hopefully we’ll meet up in Cyprus.”

As we said goodbye, Douglas tried to relax on the deck of the Orient Queen with a cold drink, saying it was the first opportunity that she’d really had to feel like she was not going to be wounded or killed.

8. Resources In War-Torn Middle East

USEFUL LINKS/INFO: COMPANION ANIMALS IN LEBANON
http://www.animalsvoice.com/PAGES/home.html

Beirut for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (BETA):
http://beta.beirut.com/

CHAI: Concern for Helping Animals in Israel:
http://www.chai-online.org

Society For The Prevention of Cruelty To Animals In Israel:
http://www.haifa-spca.org.il/
Israel, Ra'anana / ph: 972 9 774 5532
Israel, Tel Aviv / ph: 972 3 682 7621, 972 3 6810061, 972 3 5181420
Israel, Mifrad Haifa / ph: 972 4 729696
Israel, Jerusalem / ph: 972 2 585 1531

Let the Animals Live - Nonprofit organisation for animal shelter and aid:
http://letlive.org.il/english/home.php
Israel, Tel Aviv / ph: 972 3 647 5812, Evening: 972 3 5441735
Israel, Haifa / ph: 972 4 222874, 972 4 253094, 972 4 326060

Rehovot Society For The Protection Of Animals
http://www.israelpets.org/eng/
ph: 08-946-0135; email: rspa@israelpets.org

SOS. Pets:
http://sospets.co.il/

Animal Welfare Organizations, ISRAEL:
http://info.jpost.com/C005/Supplements/CafeOleh/animals.html#1

Worldwide Shelter Directory:
http://www.h4ha.org/shelters/

World Society For The Protection Of Animals:
http://www.wspa-usa.org/