Seventeen of 69 abandoned, neglected dogs remain loose in forest: shelter head

BEIRUT — Seventeen dogs remain loose from among 69 neglected and malnourished canines found dumped near a rescue organization’s dog shelter in a forest near Ras al-Metn on Saturday morning, the head of animal rescue group Give Me A Paw, Tamara Abi Khalil, told L’Orient Today on Monday.

Here’s what we know:

    • Abi Khalil told L’Orient Today she was terrified when as she was going to feed the shelter’s dogs on Saturday she found tens of new seemingly neglected dogs outside her shelter. She immediately called for help on social media, asking for monetary donations and volunteers to help her in rescuing the dogs.

    • The dogs had been at another shelter that was supposedly taking care of them and treating them well, Abi Khalil told L’Orient Today. However, when they were dumped at Give Me A Paw, it became apparent that they had been severely neglected.

    • Animals Lebanon, an animal protection organization which aims at improving the welfare and ensuring the protection of animals throughout the country through welfare legislation, responded to Abi Khalil’s call. “Animals Lebanon have done amazing work. They arrived early and worked till the late hours of the night in the rescue mission,” she said.

   • Abi Khalil stated that activist for animal rights and lawyer Adnan Labban offered a piece of land that he owns to accommodate the dogs.

   • “Fifty-one dogs are now at Labban’s land and 17 are still hiding in the forest. Some of the dogs contain highly contagious and deadly diseases that harm other animals and the wildlife, the vets who checked the dogs affirmed,” Abi Khalil said, adding though that “one of the dogs who is comparatively healthy has been put up for adoption, and might have even found a home.”

   • Abi Khalil stated that the dogs are scared and traumatized. She has asked for trapping cages to help relocate the dogs still on the loose to Labban’s farm. She has also called for food and monetary donations to ensure the complete rescuing of the dogs.