John Sakr, Contributor

February 1st, 2021

Among the headlines that pop up upon searching the word “Lebanon” on most internet engines are the deadly August 4 explosion, the economic crisis, and the intermittent Coronavirus lockdowns imposed by the government. Crisis after crisis has rendered living conditions in the Middle Eastern nation extremely unfavorable in comparison to those before the pandemic and the peak of the economic crisis. As a result of the agglomeration of these issues, the average Lebanese person now finds themselves hunting for a hospital bed in case of illness, and if found, the hunt turns into figuring out a way to pay for treatment, just as they search for affordable food or even everyday medicine such as Acetaminophen (Locally marketed as Panadol) around the country. While it is established that human beings in Lebanon have to live with little to no dignity, little light is shed on the situation of animal pets in the country, during and after the worst year it has ever experienced, 2020. How do their owners’ economic situations reflect on them? How drastic were their lifestyle changes? How affected were they by the pandemic? Were no pets lost, killed, or injured due to the August 4th blast?

In its (relatively) golden days, Beirut, just like other towns and cities, was a good place to have pets. In fact, their existence on Lebanese territories was regulated to the point where all domestic cats, dogs, and ferrets entering the country must be equipped with a specialized, “15-digit, non-encrypted ISO 11784/11785 compliant” pet microchip, according to pettravel.com. They must also be vaccinated against many diseases such as rabies, hepatitis, or calicivirus in the last 30 days to 12 months before arriving. Elsewhere, pet-related activities in Lebanon were booming, as the country was in a supposedly prosperous era. This was particularly seen with the foundation of BETA (Beirut for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), a non-governmental organization that was founded in 2004 “to improve the lives of animals in the region” through providing rehabilitation and shelter. One of their most remarkable accomplishments is their contribution to the establishment of the new Animal and Welfare Protection Law (Law 47) in Lebanon, which sentences animal crime perpetuators to imprisonment for up to two years, as well as a fine of 50 million Lebanese Pounds (almost 33,000$ at the time of implementation). On a less serious note, BETA held an annual dog competition show, for a total of 12 years. It resembled a cocktail party with food and drinks as well as entertainment. The event was usually held outdoors, and guests brought along their pets in order to enter competitions for “best mixed breed” or “best costume.” Dog lovers were not the only ones with pet-related activities to participate in around the country, as began the emergence of Cat Cafés in Lebanon. This originally Japanese concept consisted of a “typical coffee shop where there will be cats walking around,” as described by owner Lynn Al Khouri. Its aim was to provide a safe shelter for vaccinated and clean BETA cats in an environment where locals could come for coffee, and potentially adopt cats that were there. Another facility for animal lovers is the Spinneys supermarket Pet Club, which is a sort of program that allows people to gather loyalty points upon their purchase of pet items, which are redeemable against more pet items.

However, most of the abovementioned activities came to a halt once COVID-19 and the dollar rate both reached critical points around Lebanon. Beyond that, the most basic animal needs have become a luxury few can afford. A can (one meal) of cat food averaged at LBP 2,500 before the crisis, whereas it now costs around LBP 13,000 (almost six times the price). Obviously, pet treats were not on the Ministry of Economy’s “vital” list of subsidized goods, as wheat, soap, rice, oil, and other basic human-needed products took priority. As a result, people have been forced to malnourish their pets, or, even worse, abandon them on the streets, not necessarily out of bad intent, but out of despair and inability to care for them. Many NGOs, such as the abovementioned BETA, have been taking these pets in for shelter, however they have limited capacity, and due to the worsening economic conditions in the country they can barely persist, let alone expand. In a YouTube video titled “Against All Odds,” BETA explains that they solely rely on their donors, and that, most of them being Lebanese with their “money stuck in the banks” (due to capital control measures), they are running out of funding. Since September 2018, they are facing eviction from their shelter that is home to over 800 dogs and 200 cats, because they cannot afford the rent of the land they are settled on. They obtained approval for building a $640,000 shelter, which will definitely take time. Nonetheless, regardless of all difficulties, on the morning of August 5th (a few hours after the deadly blast), BETA volunteers were granted permission to access the site of the Beirut Port (and its surroundings) in order to feed the animals that had survived, and care for those who were injured. They took them in, adding to their strain. Yet they found it necessary because no one else was doing it.

Another phenomenon that has been on the rise is emigration from Lebanon, particularly to Canada; people left everything behind, including their pets, in hopes of finding a new, more prosperous life abroad. But animal lovers knew how painful of a decision that was and started initiatives that would help pet animals travel to be with their owners in foreign countries, such as Canada. Many of them are social network-based, such as @lebanononlinepetadoption (LOPA) on Instagram: if any person happens to be traveling from Beirut to certain areas in Canada, collective efforts from the NGO and the pet owners themselves cover all fees for the pet’s travel, leaving the said person solely responsible for transporting the pet with them from airport to airport. Another initiative to save Lebanese pets that involved travel is that of the Sip & Purrs Cat Café in Wisconsin, USA, which flies cats that were left injured from the port explosion to the United States, sheltering them in the café until they are adopted by locals. This was done in collaboration with the Lebanese NGO Animals Lebanon.

In a nation torn by poverty, famine, and disease, where the very future of human beings is unclear as each day uncovers a new crisis the Lebanese people have to face, what of their animal companions, that, in such times, would usually bring them comfort and ease? To what extent will caring for them be an additional source of worry?

Sources 

https://www.petsradar.com/news/cats-caught-up-in-beirut-explosion-are-rescued-by-american-cat-cafe

https://www.the961.com/a-cat-cafe-is-officially-opening-in-beirut/

https://www.spinneysrewards.com/SpinneysRewards/ProductsListing.aspx?pageid=3352

https://betalebanon.org/about/achievements/

https://betalebanon.org/about/mission/

https://betalebanon.org/update/trick-or-treat-2018-full/

https://www.lebtivity.com/event/beta-s-12th-annual-dog-show

https://www.pettravel.com/immigration/Lebanon.cfm