FOUR PAWS Works with Local Lebanese Partner to Help Animals in Times of Conflict

From the very beginning of the conflict, people in Lebanon knew that this time would be different. On March 2nd, the conflict escalated rapidly, displacing more than thirty thousand people on the first day alone. Two weeks later, one million people had fled the southern part of the country.

Despite glimpses of hope that the conflict might be over soon, people remain displaced, entire villages are being destroyed, and hostilities continue. The conflict has been devastating for the Lebanese people and a catastrophe of unfathomable proportions for animals. Thousands of farmed animals were reported dead in the first weeks, while stray animals have been injured, terrified, and left unable to find food in deserted towns and villages.

In the first days and weeks, the most urgent need was to rescue as many animals as possible. Many were lost, trapped, injured, or left behind as people were forced to flee from their homes. A team from our partner, Animals Lebanon, returned to the affected areas, searching homes, buildings, and streets for animals in need of rescue. 

They retrieved the animals, cared for them, and, when possible, reunited them with their owners. More than 60 animals have been rescued, including nine cats and dogs who have been reunited with their families. 

As the weeks became months, the most urgent needs of animals changed, and another reality began to settle in. 

Families who had fled with their animals were now displaced in schools, tents, collective displacement sites, and improvised shelters. People who had been able to take their animals with them, were now struggling to care for them.

Through our partner on the ground, we have been providing essential supplies for displaced families and their pets, including food, litter, bowls, bedding, crates, and blankets. These supplies are helping pet owners care for their animals while they remain in temporary facilities.

In total, 340 displaced families received this support to help them continue caring for their animals while living in temporary shelters. In addition, Animals Lebanon provided temporary care for 63 animals whose families were unable to keep them with them during displacement. By taking these animals into temporary care, Animals Lebanon helped their owners keep them safe while they navigated the uncertainty and hardship of displacement. The story of Kassem, highlighted below, is one example of how this support helped a family remain connected to their animal during this difficult time.

As living in displacement continued, another layer of needs began to emerge. Animals who had previously lived in quiet homes were suddenly surrounded by other people and pets, stray animals, noise, and constant movement.

People coping with their own displacement were also trying to keep their animals calm, clean, fed, and safe. Many displaced families began caring for local stray animals that came to them, in addition to looking after their own pets. In these conditions, a number of problems began to arise, including flea outbreaks, problematic interactions between animals, and signs of stress such as weight loss and fur loss.

As part of the response, 45 animals were neutered, helping to address one of the longer-term challenges facing animals living in these difficult conditions. Responding to these needs is not always predictable or visible, but for animals and the families trying to protect them, this support made the difference between feeling supported and feeling abandoned.

As animal welfare organisations, FOUR PAWS and Animals Lebanon focus first and foremost on the wellbeing of animals. However, we also know how strong the bond between people and animals can be, especially during times of displacement.

For displaced families, a pet can often be one of the few remaining links to home. For adults and children alike, an animal can provide comfort, strength, and joy. In displacement sites, where people are living in close proximity and under pressure, with little privacy and no certainty, knowing that someone is there to help care for their animals can bring immense relief.

That is why it is so important to provide care and protection for animals during displacement. Animals Lebanon and FOUR PAWS provide essential animal welfare support to animals and their families. By helping animals, we are also helping the people who love and depend on them, enabling both to get through displacement with a little more dignity and a little less distress.

The conflict has also been devastating for stray animals, who survive through more fragile systems of care. When the people who supported them were forced to flee, their small routines collapsed. Even when food was available, getting it to stray animals was extremely difficult.

Together with Animals Lebanon, we supported the coordination of volunteer feeders and rescue groups to provide food and support to people already caring for animals in the south of the country, affected parts of Beirut, and communities that have emptied out while animals remain. Together, we have been able to reach more than 1,000 animals who were otherwise at risk of starvation. For many stray animals, this support has been their only lifeline.

At the beginning of the crisis, the response focused on providing veterinary care to animals injured in airstrikes or rescued from affected areas. As the crisis continued, the focus shifted to treating displaced pets and stray animals for a range of health issues, including parasites, stress-related conditions, and health problems caused by unstable living conditions.

FOUR PAWS and Animals Lebanon continued to address these needs through local veterinary networks, as veterinary assistance remained one of the most requested forms of support.

Through our work with Animals Lebanon, we are one of a few organisations still able to help animals in the country.

While not every situation can be resolved and not every animal can be reached, every animal they are able to treat is a victory. Together with our partner, Animals Lebanon, we continue to make a difference, one animal at a time