18 August 2020  – Global animal welfare organisation FOUR PAWS rescues and cares for injured animals in Beirut. On August 4, the Lebanese capital was shook by a violent explosion at the port. Over 170 people lost their lives and over 6,000 were injured. Among the victims are numerous animals – including many pets. The FOUR PAWS team is helping on site to search for buried animals to provide them with medical treatment, food and, if possible, reunification with their owners.

For the next weeks, the FOUR PAWS team, consisting of veterinarians and animal handlers, will be on assignment in Beirut with the goal to rescue as many pets and stray animals as possible from the ruins together with local volunteers. If pets cannot be reunited with their owners, FOUR PAWS will look for a safe, new home for them. The same applies for rescued stray animals. Additionally, FOUR PAWS will provide urgently needed medical supplies and food. 

Expertise in crisis and conflict zones

In December 2019, FOUR PAWS conducted an emergency mission to care for several wild animals kept in two zoos in the south of Lebanon. The animal welfare organisation has also worked in countries like Libya and Egypt and in 2016 and 2019 the FOUR PAWS team evacuated three zoos in the Gaza Strip. In 2017, FOUR PAWS rescued 13 animals from an amusement park near Aleppo in Syria as well as the last two surviving bears and lions from a zoo in Mosul, Iraq.