Animals Lebanon Celebrates World Animal Day!
On Saturday, 8 October, volunteers gathered at the Animals Lebanon Center in Hamra to celebrate World Animal Day with Lebanon?s own Ambassador to WAD and president of Animals Lebanon, Lana El-Khalil.
"I am proud to see so many organizations and individuals taking action to celebrate World Animal Day," said El-Khalil. "It is important that we recognize that all of these different activities are all aimed at achieving the same goal - to increase public awareness about animals and improve animal welfare."
Last year Animals Lebanon planted 1,000 tress in the Chouf Cedars nature Reserve to highlight the need to protect animal habitats, and this year will campaigned to promote adoption and understanding of stray cats and dogs..
On Saturday, volunteers took to the streets of Beirut to interact with the public and explain the benefits of adopting a rescued cat or dog. After a day of passing out flyers and promoting rescued animals for adoption ? volunteers gathered at the center for a warm party in celebration of this fabulous day.
There are tens of thousands of stray animals in Lebanon and no formal means of population control or care for these animals. Stray cats and dogs are regularly shot or poisoned, and there are complaints of people being scared of or attacked by stray dogs and cats.
"Other countries with similar conditions have addressed this problem, both humanely reducing the numbers of animals and improving the health of those still living on the streets," continued El-Khalil.
"It is not easy, but with a combination of changes - both to prevent new animals being dumped on the street and in the way the current population is dealt with - we can see the same successes other countries have achieved."
Thank you to all the volunteers who participated with us ? and once again, Happy World Animal Day 2011!
