Animals Lebanon
believes that we can make a better place for humans and animals. We focus on
preventing problems before they start through wide scale TNR. While this will
prevent much of the suffering which takes place, there will always be animals
who need to be rescued and rehomed. Our shelter and adoption program gives these
animals the care they need until they are found a permanent home. We also
believe that everyone can and should be involved. We work to educate and empower
all segments of society to ensure lasting change. Whether through education of
school children or providing employment, we believe that everyone has a role to
play, and together we will see the day when all people treat animals with the
kindness and compassion they deserve.
Lana El-Khalil - I am
the Creative Director at Lebanon’s Mix FM Radio Station, organizing grand-scale
electronic music events with performances from the world’s biggest and most
in-demand DJ’s.
I studied Development Economics at Sarah Lawrence
University in New York where I was first introduced to dedicated advocates of
animal rights. Together we formed the Animal Defense Committee whose goal was to
spread awareness of animal abuse in the context of industrial globalization and
choosing a vegetarian or vegan diet as an ethical choice.
After
graduating from Sarah Lawrence I moved to Beirut where I began working in
impoverished communities to rebuild groups through micro-economic programs. In
Beirut I met a passionate and dedicated group of people doing animal rescues,
medical follow-ups, sheltering, and adopting programs. I have since then been a
part of the team with full conviction, support, and belief that with our
continued efforts positive change is possible.
Dr. Ali Hemadeh - They
came to me with a helpless kitten that was hit by a car and left on the side of
the road. They were so determined on helping her, and you could see in their
eyes that they could feel her pain.
They wanted to help her for the sake
of helping her, with no return whatsoever. This was a first to me, to meet such
compassionate people with simple means. I then felt, as a vet and animal lover,
that it is my duty to help in any way I can. This is where I belonged, I became
part of this noble group and together we doubled the efforts and took the hard
road, keeping in mind that together we will get there.
Safa Hojeij - The love
for the animals was always in me. Working towards animal welfare in Lebanon all
started when I was at one of the flea markets held by a handful of young ladies
trying to raise enough money to care for the few cats and dogs they had rescued.
At the time I was told to hold on to Tulip, one of the puppies rescued from a
cruel situation.
That got me hooked with the group and ever since I've
been working side by side with these ladies for the better welfare of the
animals of Lebanon. With all the hardships we go through day after day, the
grateful look I get from each of those animals is all I need to wake up the next
day with enough energy and determination to continue what we started.
Joelle Kanaan - Joelle
Kanaan - I have always loved animals since I was a child. All I wanted is to
help end their suffering, get them to be respected and loved by humans and
treated as equal. I never understood why someone would want to hurt, abandon or
abuse such innocent and loving creatures. I joined BETA in 2004, wanting to
achieve my dream of making my country a better one by helping the helpless and
by changing the mentality towards our furry friends.
I have now decided
to shift my efforts in helping the animals through Animals Lebanon, the newest
animal welfare organization in Lebanon of which I am a founder. Each day, we
witness abuse, mistreatment and suffering of cats and dogs on the streets of
Lebanon. Animals Lebanon’s main focus will be TNR.
A tool which each
animal lover knows will help reach the “dream” of having a suffering-free
environment, by reducing the number of unwanted litters on the streets. Animals
Lebanon is helping solve this problem.
Maggie Shaarawi - I have always
found my best place with animals. We live together, share the same resources and
many times depend on each other, and we desperately need to live together with
respect and harmony. I have stood up for animals since I was a child, and in the
last seven years my love and passion for them has steadily grew.
A group
of compassionate people came together and created a voice for the animals. Even
though we had no money or power, we were full of hope and compassion for our
cause, and with them I helped found an animal welfare organization in 2003, and
registered it as an official charity in 2006.
After rescuing and caring
for hundreds of animals over the years, living great times and struggling
through periods of war, and meeting like minded people around the world, I
learned more and more about what was best for them and what I could do. It was
because of all this that we chose to take a more drastic approach to help the
animals of Lebanon, and Animals Lebanon was founded and registered in 2008.
We need to solve the problem from the roots, and with Animals Lebanon
TNR programs and humane education, Lebanon, and the animals which live here,
will be so much better. With the determination I have, as well as all the
members of Animals Lebanon, I firmly believe that we will see the day when
people can walk on the street and the suffering which is so prevalent now will
no longer exist.
Peter Macdissi, Honorary
President of the AL Advisory Committee - We might be the most intelligent
species but we definitely aren't the only species. Our responsibility as
stewards of this planet is to make sure that all life is respected and
protected. Animals Lebanon is a wonderful step towards that goal which I am
proud to be part of.
Tania Burrows -
I am very happy and relieved to have met Animals Lebanon and I hope to bring as much help as possible to this wonderful and hard working team.
Ever since I was born, animals have fulfilled my life with so much interest, love and serenity. Nature has always been my definition of true beauty. So much needs to be done here. Animals are part of our planet and society, and I believe that by helping protect and respect them will improve our way of living. We humans have the power to make this world a better place. We need to learn, share and understand what we have.
I am amazed of how such actions can bring so many different people to work together. It is so enriching to get all these different backgrounds and personalities participating on the well being of our environment - we all have something to give.
Dr. Dima Dabbous
Sensenig - I have joined Animals Lebanon because I believe it is an
important aspect of my overall activism and my attempt to make this world a
(slightly) better place. My professional work is in the field of human rights
(specifically related to the condition of women in the Arab world). But on more
personal level, I believe that the world cannot be better if only human beings,
and not also animals and plants (i.e. the entire eco-system) are protected and
cherished
I also hope that being in touch with university students, in
my capacity as teacher, will allow me to transmit and encourage the love of
life, in all its forms.
Dr. Rebecca Diaz -
Veterinary medicine is my passion. After five years of volunteering with Guam
Animals In Need, I started the veterinary medicine program at the University of
California at Davis and graduated in 1999. I have been a general practitioner
but my special interests include cats and helping animals, including the
homeless with under served medical needs.
For the past 18 years, my life
has been dedicated to helping stray animals in the United States, Guam, Palau
and Majuro. I look forward to supporting Animals Lebanon in their endeavors to
improve conditions for strays in Lebanon.
May El Khalil - When one
individual puts their mind to creating positive change, they are fully capable
of realizing this change. With conviction, determination, and integrity you can
influence the life of one person, improve your community, and even inspire an
entire nation. As the founder and president of the Beirut Marathon Association,
this is what we are doing every day.
Just as the Beirut Marathon is an
inspiration to Lebanon - so too are the dedicated activists at Animals Lebanon
who are working non-stop to improve the conditions of wild and domestic animals
in Lebanon.
I believe in their passion and have chosen to offer my
resources and guidance to further advance their noble cause. In the words of all
the great thinkers and doers, Yes...we can!
Iolanda and Stephane
Jaquemet - To us, animal rights have always been an inseparable part of our
outlook on life, indeed inseparable from our own rights and dignity. We know the
founders of AL share this commitment and have both the enthusiasm and the
professionalism needed to make Lebanon a better place for animals.
After
years as a foreign and war correspondent, Iolanda now writes for human rights
and humanitarian organizations. Stephane is the Regional Representative of the
UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, in Beirut.
Nadia Kabbani - I have
always loved and rescued animals on my own until I met the girls in 2004. I was
visiting a vet clinic and I saw a simple flyer asking people to help animals.
That was a first to me in Lebanon. At that point, I felt the need to call them
and join.
Now, as the years have passed and we went through good and bad
moments together, and with a true belief in AL’s mission and its goals, I
decided to be part of the Advisory Board. I believe with my time, efforts and
our input all together, we will make Lebanon a cruelty free place for our furry
friends.
Carmen Lebos -
Animals are part of my life and I believe they have feelings and
understanding just as humans do.
If we are to truly act as human beings,
then we need to recognize the importance of animals and extend our humanity to
them as well.
We in the Middle East need to learn how wrong it is to
insult someone by calling them an animal. Though humans can show unlimited
compassion, they can also cause great suffering and harm, and animals can
recognize when people are in need and can be a source of comfort and help in
times of need.
As an actress, I look forward to being able to spread the
word about how important animals are to us, and the great work Animals Lebanon
is doing to protect them.
Carol Manos - I run a
TNR (Trap Neuter Return) centered cat rescue organization in the US, and feel I
can help Animals Lebanon achieve its important goals by advising on lifesaving
TNR. Through these long term efforts, we will see a significant decrease in the
number of free roaming cats throughout Lebanon.
I am honored to be part
of the Advisory Committee, and Animals Lebanon deserves the support of rescues
worldwide. Together we will make a great difference.
Roger Saad - I am the
co-founder and CEO of Mix FM. I have always believed that compassion, respect,
and ethical behavior is something that must be granted to people, animals, and
the environment as all are intertwined.
With that in mind, we have
offered Mix FM to be the voice of Animals Lebanon knowing that radio is a
powerful tool for reaching out to people and getting your message
across.
I believe in Animals Lebanon and anticipate a future where we can
be proud to consider Lebanon as part of the developed countries which uphold
legislation for the protection of its animals.
Pamela Saade - Miss Earth Lebanon It all started when I got my first dog as a gift. I found myself so weak towards animals especially the homeless ones. I could never ignore any dog on the streets. so I used to rescue them on my own and got them adopted through my friends to raise them.
The first time I heard about Animals Lebanon was on TV when I saw a young lady representing the organisation and reporting the abuse of tigers and lions in a circus that came to Lebanon recently. Therefore I felt like I'm ready to give them anything I have to help all those voiceless creatures.
Yasmina Skaff - The
modernism crisis has shut us up in our individualism.
We cannot however
live for ones self. “To live” means to be responsible of our country, to protect
our planet and look after our environment. We do not have the right to dispose
of the animals as we wish or as it appears to us. We cannot ignore the human and
animal sufferings, no matter how they are.
As a human being, I wish to
defend all those who are voiceless. I wish to be coherent in my life with this
consciousness as much as I can. And if the realization of a better Lebanon
passes through the support of all aspects of the right to live, I choose to take
part in it.
For my support in animal protection, I am happy to be part
of Animals Lebanon. I followed the enormous, courageous and volunteering work of
Joelle and Margo for six years against the suffering of animals. I adhere to
their philosophy and cannot but be proud to see that everything is not that
black at depth, when beautiful human beings like them, associate to their daily
life, with their modest means, the relief of the animals in pain, ones who also
have the right to be defended. This step reconciles me with the human being.
Best Friends Animal
Society, guided by the philosophy that 'kindness to animals builds a better
world for all of us,' has supported Animals Lebanon since its founding. Best
Friends is one of the largest and most well respected animal organizations in
the world and continues to be a major financial supporter of Animals Lebanon.
In October 2008, Animals
Lebanon became an official member society of WSPA, the World Society for the
protection of Animals.
In November 2008,
Animals Lebanon was welcomed as a member society of MENAW, the Middle East
Network for Animal Welfare.
In January, 2009, Lana El-Khalil,
the President of Animals Lebanon, became Lebanon’s World Animal Day
Ambassador.
In July, 2010, Animals Lebanon became a league member of OIPA,
the International Organization for Animal Protection.
The OIPA is a non governmental organization affiliated to the
UN Department of Public Information.
MixFM is the official radio partner of
Animals Lebanon
What Animals Lebanon is doing is excellent. Lebanon
certainly needs people who can take a step outside the business world to
dedicate themselves to standing up for their beliefs. Animals are amongst the
most innocent and defenseless creatures - they are lucky to have you and Mix FM
is glad to stand by your side.
