Save the Animals in the Gaza War Zone

21 bombs fall in Gaza every hour, there isn’t enough food or running water, we don’t have electricity anymore…but every day we rescue animals…

Because if we don't, no one else will… I’m Saeed al-Err, founder of Sulala animal rescue. Alongside my wife, Sally, and my son Saed, I rescue pets in Gaza.

Nothing is certain for us right now and we don’t know how long we’ll be safe - all we know is that we will always do everything we can for the animals of Gaza, even in the most dangerous circumstances.

I started my animal rescue in 2006 when government officials launched a campaign to kill all stray animals.

Before the war broke out we had 400 dogs, and 120 cats in our shelter.

Then the bombs started falling and our family had to flee…

We had no way of taking so many dogs with us so we opened the doors and let them out. We set out bags of food with small openings so they didn’t eat it all at once and we fled.

It was the hardest thing I have ever had to do, leaving so many animals behind. And I still miss them every day.

I know some are safe in the North as some of our volunteers are still there helping animals. We send them money to buy food there. They say they think many of the dogs in the North are from our shelter because they are friendly and not scared of humans.

We took the cats with us. We now have 20 dogs and over 50 cats in our care.

The 20 dogs are disabled. We picked them up from the shelter in the beginning of the war because we knew they couldn’t survive on the streets.

We go out every day and feed the strays too, bringing them home with us to Sulala if we can.

We get calls every day about hurt animals and even though it often isn’t safe to travel we do our best to reach them and help.

We also operate a pop-up clinic for donkeys and horses all in desperate need of food, shelter, and health care.

How do we feed all the animals?

There’s not enough food coming into Gaza.

Sometimes someone manages to bring pet food from the North of the Gaza Strip, and because it’s expensive, they charge $120 for a small bag of dog food. In the South, there is no more pet food so we buy cans of beans to feed our dogs.

Cats are only able to eat meat so it’s essential we raise the funds to buy them any meat or fish we can.

When we are able to buy food we feed the animals in our care first and then share what we have left with local people who don’t have any food for their pets.

There are just so many starving animals and without access to veterinary services we are unable to sterilize them, so the population is growing daily.

What’s happening to the donkey’s and horses in Gaza?

There's no electricity, running water, or fuel for cars in Gaza anymore and so people are using donkeys and horses for transport and to fetch and carry water.

The result is these animals are covered in wounds from being severely overworked. And a lot of people are taking out their anger and pain on these animals too.

I try to convince people to let me buy their donkeys and horses so I can treat their wounds, feed them, and let them heal but because people rely on them so heavily they won’t sell them to me for less than $1000…

 With your donations, Sulala will be able to save more horses and donkeys from this cruelty.

How we will spend the money you donate:

PET FOOD: buying human food for our cats and dogs (we no longer have pet food in the south) costs us $820 per month EQUINE FOOD: Horse and donkey food is $300 per month. $50 feeds a horse for one month.

SHELTER CONSTRUCTION: Building materials for shelter to provide the animals with shade in the scorching 35 degree and above heat.

PEST CONTROL: The dogs spend their days outside on the sand. We have to spray the sand to prevent them getting mites.

VETERINARY COSTS FOR POP-UP CLINIC: We give urgent medical treatment for horses and donkeys and other injured animals, and thencosts are around $1,000 per month to keep it running. This covers the wages of the vets and the very expensive medicine.

TRANSPORT: Fuel costs $80 per day, covering our rescue missions to save animals in danger, transporting food to those in need, and bringing animals back to the shelter.

SUPPLIES: Urgent medication, beds, bowls, blankets. We wish we could make them more comfortable.

VOLUNTEER SUPPORT: Our volunteer staff who help feed and care for the animals receive $200 each per month (not as a salary, but as a small stipend to cover survival and transportation costs). In total, volunteer support costs $1,000 per month.

SKY NEWS SEGMENT:

https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.google.com/url?q%3Dhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v%253DB-nfMhdag0o%26amp;sa%3DD%26amp;source%3Deditors%26amp;ust%3D1726062207703705%26amp;usg%3DAOvVaw2Wp3mpkLsdPGCowlqKbJWF&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1726062207721130&usg=AOvVaw36H14H7QqTAhOjhWarR4Sr

Sulala Sky News Segment Sulala was featured on Sky News before the War broke out.

TESTIMONIALS:

Working as a trauma surgeon in Gaza in 2020, I met Saeed and his Sulala animal shelter. Saeed is a rare human being. His compassion and kindness to animals was immediately apparent. He is a shining light in a sea of darkness. Living in Gaza under austere conditions, his efforts are toward the unfortunate animals who need help. Saeed is my hero and I will continue to support him and the Sulala animal shelter as long as I can ~ Dr Steve

I have been a volunteer for Sulala since 2019, helping the team on the ground remotely with communication in English and social media. In that period Saeed and his family have become my close friends. Words are insufficient to describe their big hearts for animals, who they continue to rescue and help in the most difficult and dangerous circumstances. They always manage to surprise me with the inventive and creative ways to make due and help the vulnerable in impossible circumstances, and with how they always prioritize animals’ wellbeing over their own happiness. Animals are the first and the last thing on Saeed Al Err’s mind when he wakes up in the morning and before he goes to bed, and he has dedicated his life to helping them – though during this war they have started several initiatives to also help vulnerable humans. I trust them with my life ~ Annelies Keuleers

I just wanted to say that the Sulala guys do an incredible job. I’ve been working with them for the past 6 months from here in Scotland running the GoFundMe page and raising donations. I’ve been in constant contact with one of the rescue volunteers and I just can’t thank them enough for going above and beyond to help those souls who can’t help themselves. They work to rescue and care for animals in desperate need under the most horrific conditions imaginable. I'm so glad I decided to work with them and help raise much needed donations, they deserve every bit of help they can get for what they do ~ Jenny Owens

Why is the page in Jenny Owen’s name?

Gofundme doesn’t link to Palestinian bank accounts - without infrastructure we are unable to complete any of the verification processes required to set up these pages. We are so lucky to have Jenny’s support in helping to make sure we receive each and every donation. Jenny transfers the donations directly into my account so I can access it for food and essential supplies for the animals. She is brilliant at managing this page and making sure we successfully receive all the donations.

Please follow us to see the animals your donations help:

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/sulalaanimalrescue/?hl=en

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/SulalaSociety

Tik Tok:

https://www.tiktok.com/@saedaler

WARNING: These links are the only correct ones. We have a number of scams using our name on social media. A Tiktok account called sulalaanimal.rescue has unfortunately been able to obtain thousands of followers stealing our videos. Please be careful of where you choose to donate - only use the links on these official pages.

We rely heavily on your donations to help us feed, treat, and shelter these lost, scared, and hurt animals. Your support allows us to be there when they need us the most.

Thank you for considering helping the animals in Gaza by contributing to Sulala.

We appreciate you so much!

Saeed al-Err

photo of Saaed and his son Saed - the heroes of Gaza

A Success Story:

This beautiful horse, Fajr, (below) was wounded, starved, and in despair when we found him. We nursed him back to health over time and now he is a regular visitor to the El-Jawad Camp for displaced children. Fajr helps educate the children on animal care and compassion and brings them much needed comfort during this distressing time. We hope he helps influence the next generation of animal lovers to follow in our footsteps.

This beautiful horse, Fajr, was wounded, starved, and in despair when Saeed found him. Now they take him to the El-Jawad Camp for displaced children. He helps educate the children on animal care and education. Fajr also brings smiles to children during a time of unimaginable stress and grief.] Donate $50 to buy Fajr food for one month.