Paws Rescue Qatar: Standing up for the animals!

Khadiza Begum

Content Writer

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Paws Rescue Qatar is a non-profit animal rescue and shelter dedicated to providing a safe haven for homeless animals until they can be placed in loving homes.

ILQ team recently caught up with their adoptions coordinator volunteer, Tori Blackadder to discuss on their latest non-profit initiative, rescue Paws, their challenges as well as what people can do to help.

As she says: “We are a few individuals that have come together to rescue and rehome animals in Qatar. We have seen that we can do this better as a team, to manage all aspects of helping animals find a home from whichever situation they come from.”

“We want to ensure that any animals currently under our responsibility have the best chance of finding a home, but we also need to ensure we can share their stories far and wide, and if the opportunity arises, we can fundraise to support them and all they need. Thus we created Paws Rescue Qatar.”

300 animals in care

Paws Rescue Qatar strives to provide necessary veterinarian care to ensure healthy animals, they try to educate people as well as promote the need of donation to prevent needless sufferings for animals. They currently have around 300 animals in their care.

As Tori says: “At Paws Rescue we aim to rescue, recuperate and ultimately rehome stray and abandoned pets. We have around 300 animals in our care, consisting of cats, dogs and rabbits!”

So what process is involved in terms of finding these animals, taking them in and caring for them? In an answer to this question, Tori says: Most of our animals come from either at risk areas, they have been left at our door or abandoned at vets. We often respond to pleas from the community if we can, however, as a volunteer run group we can't always act as a mobile rescue unit.”

“The ones we do help are initially health checked, receive treatment along with vaccinations and are sterilized. They will either be returned or taken in to our retreat after a quarantine period,” she notes.

The animals are carefully integrated into retreat and learn to socialize with the fellow residents. As Tori continues: “Our animal handlers and volunteers groom them, feed them, treat them, play with them, cuddle them, walk them and show them how to trust and love again. For the dogs who have been more traumatized this is a long and tiring process, but seeing them slowly progress is a heart-warming experience! Once ready, they are then able to be rehomed or placed into foster if people are unable to commit to taking on an animal full time. We have an adoption process which involves trials and communication to make sure both parties are suited for each other!

Challenges

Talking about challenges, Tori notes that the hardest part is not being able to save every voiceless animal in Qatar.

“It's heartbreaking knowing we can't help them all. When times get tough we focus on the positive changes we have made.”

She keeps on going, saying that the most challenging things for them is fighting the battle with the little donations they have.

“We are outnumbered by the amount of animals needing help, and without funding it is impossible to continue. One initiative that can help this is by having a TNR (trap, neuter, release) program, where animals (including strays) are sterilized, so they cannot contribute to the horrific stray cycle, and in turn add to the need for medical and welfare assistance.

Lend a helping hand and donate to the poor animals

Paws Rescue Qatar

Image credit: iStock by Getty Images

Paws Rescue Qatar is ran purely by volunteers and they rely solely on donations from the public to help the animals. They have animal handlers who also help with the day to day care of the animals at the retreat. They always are in need of volunteers, whether it be helping transport animals around Doha, offering a foster home, donating items, fundraising or socialising with the animals!

So if you are interested to save animals, please take a stand against animal abuse by donating and helping them and let them have a chance at a better life. Your small donations may have the potential to drastically improve an animal's quality of life.