Animal Welfare

My journey into the world of  animal welfare started in 1997 when we moved to Abu Dhabi. Up until then I was clueless about Animal Welfare, however living in the Middle East was a real eye-opener, unfortunately not in a good way. I was simply so shocked by the cruelty that mankind could inflict on innocent creatures.

As an animal lover it is hard to live in the Middle East and not adopt something, for us it was our two cats Malteser & Smarty who were rescued from the streets of Abu Dhabi. Malteser was an adult who had been abandoned and dumped on the streets, Smarty her 4 month old kitten. They had been trying their best to survive on the streets but not doing a very good job of it, they were so thankful for a bed to sleep in and some cat biscuits! During that time I volunteered with FELINE FRIENDS a non-profit organisation that tries to improve the lives of the cats and kittens in Abu Dhabi.

In 2002 it was then onto Bahrain, another Middle Eastern country with animal welfare issues. Our outside room was always occupied by some rescued or injured cat whilst I searched for good homes for them, I became the “spay and neuter lady” of the compound! I also volunteered for the BSPCA (Bahrain Society for the Protection of Animals), an organisation trying their best to help as many animals as their limited space and revenue permits.

In 2007 we moved to the Philippines, even the cruelty I had witnessed in the Middle East didn’t prepare me for the Philippines. I was horrified by the sights I encountered – imagine a country where dogs are brutally killed to be eaten and kittens are thrown into bags and dumped alive. The cruelty I witnessed whilst living in the Philippines shocked me to the core; the images I will carry with me forever.

I volunteered at CARA (Compassion and Responsibility For Animals) for 3 years; my heart is still in the Philippines with the CARA team who struggle on day to day. It was in the Philippines our beloved cat Malteser died of old age, it was also there I gained MY THREE MIRACLES;  two day old kittens rescued from a storm-drain.

In September 2009 Typhoon Ketsana hit the Philippines, the devastation was horrific for man and animals alike, over 465 people lost their lives.

International animal welfare institutions flew in and CARA joined with them to organise animal rescue. This was a completely humbling experience, I have added a few images below, however nothing can really describe or portray what happened during that time.

In some provinces we went door to door offering assistance for injured animals, in other more recovered areas we set up on basketball courts giving out pet food, new collars and offering medical assistance. People came from all over and queued and queued, everywhere we looked  we saw people and animals suffering. A lot of people didn’t even have homes left; in the provinces most of the people are living in shacks to start with! What impressed and surprised me was that this nation who are not animal lovers, did care enough to bring their pets to us for help. It made me think there is hope for the animals of the Philippines, if only we could educate people about correct pet care and show them there is a more humane way to live.

I could actually write pages about what I have experienced in the world of Animal Welfare but I won’t go into the details, most of which aren’t nice. Of course there are happy endings, that is what keeps us going. Hopefully together we can support animal welfare organisations like the ones mentioned above and create more happy endings making the world a more humane place to live.