I want to wish everyone a very happy new year and welcome you to the new website of Animals Lebanon. We start 2011 with a completely redesigned logo and website - a look which reflects our growth and achievement over the last two and a half years, and our dedication to continue to rescue abused animals. The new website will allow us to keep you better updated about all of our activities, and allow all of our supporters to take part in this important work.
As we worked to finish this new website, I am so proud looking through the pictures and stories of such amazing rescues, and inspired to think how much more we can accomplish with your ongoing support.
2010 wasn't an easy year, there were some sleepless nights and very difficult rescues, but in the end this past year was a very successful one. I am pleased to see new supporters and volunteers joining us, Lebanese companies offering their services and expertise, and all of the amazing things that can be accomplished because of this.
We fought hard to stop a circus which came from Egypt, exposing the cruelty the lions and tigers had to endure as they traveled for more than a week. The government closed the circus for nearly two months, and our campaign led to the passing of a new law in Egypt banning the use of lion and tiger cubs and requiring that animals can no longer travel by land or sea.
In March we held a press conference to encourage stronger action for animal welfare and the protection of endangered wildlife.
We traveled to Qatar for the conference of the parties of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, and the Minister of Agriculture invited us to take part in a meeting with the Secretary General of CITES. The Minister expressed his intention to have Lebanon join this important convention, and we continue to work to stop the smuggling of wildlife into Lebanon. We then organized with the European Commission the first national workshop on animal welfare in Lebanon. EU experts came to show stakeholders how having strong animal welfare laws can benefit Lebanon.
More people are understanding the joy of adopting a rescued cat or dog, and our shelter allowed us to help even more companion animals than last year. We rehomed 295 cats and dogs locally and internationally, all rescued from pet shops, after having been abandoned by their owners, or while struggling to survive on the street.
The dog Frida, saved only a month ago after being seen with no hair and a terrible skin disease, has already started to grow in a beautiful new coat of hair and will soon be ready for adoption.
188 cats and dogs were neutered in February in recognition of Spay Day International. Another 160 were neutered throughout the year in places where the community is caring for these cats and dogs.
Omega the chimpanzee is settling into his new home in Brazil after being freed from a run down zoo in the south of Lebanon. He is just one of the many lucky animals that were saved from this zoo, the third zoo we have been able to close down in less than three years. I can barely wait until the day we move the family of baboons to a sanctuary and the zoo is empty at last.
It was humbling to see that our first gala dinner sold out, with 360 people committing their support to us on this beautiful night. We were honored when we were once again chosen as a partner charity by the Beirut Marathon, and 700 runners turned out on the day in our support. As the Lebanese Ambassador for World Animal Day, this year we planted 1000 trees to help protect Lebanese wildlife in the Chouf Cedars nature Reserve.
Our focus is now on addressing the lack of laws to protect the welfare of animals and the survival of endangered species. In November we participated in a workshop organized by the World Animals Health Organization and presented the framework of our national animal welfare legislation. This workshop was extremely encouraging, and we are now following up with the World Animal Health Organization and the Ministry of Agriculture to finalize our draft laws and work to have them submitted to Parliament.
2011 will be a year focused on this legislation and the enormous amount of work it will take to have our draft legislation be approved by the government and become a formal law.
On behalf of everyone at Animals Lebanon - thank you for your generous support, thank you for helping save so many animals, and with your help we will make 2011 a great year for the animals.
Happy Holidays and enjoy the new website,
Lana El-Khalil
President
