QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – In the midst of a muddy field just outside of northeast Syria’s Qamishli, a man plays with a group of wet, dirty puppies. The animals are wary of people, but seem to sense the gentle nature of Dr. Imad Khalaf, and eventually scamper up to him, sniffing and pawing at him and rolling onto their backs as he squats in the mud. “With training, they will be very good dogs,” he says to the owner.
Dr. Khalaf is a local veterinarian and the executive director of the Lawir Organization, a unique NGO based in northeast Syria which is dedicated to the protection of animals.
The organization has many projects underway, including the provision of free veterinary care as well as food and medicine to animals in the region. Their biggest project, however, is their shelter, currently under construction outside of Qamishli city.
Dr. Khalaf estimates that there are around 500 homeless dogs in Qamishli’s streets, and Lawir Organization is constructing a massive shelter complex to house homeless animals. Though the shelter is currently a mostly empty plot of land, Dr. Khalaf has big dreams for it – including rooms to protect shelter animals from the elements, an operating room, a diagnostic room, a grooming center, and even an ambulance to bring animals to the shelter.
With a budget of nearly $200,000 USD just to get the shelter up and running, and with the Syrian crisis putting many projects on hold, Lawir and Dr. Khalaf are facing a long road ahead. However, they have already broken ground, and are currently paving roads inside the shelter complex to make it more accessible.
Meanwhile, Dr. Khalaf has other big dreams for Lawir and the future of animals in the region. He plans to breed and preserve special local breeds of animals and livestock – something that would protect animal welfare and help the burgeoning autonomous region of northeast Syria cement its unique identity.
One of Lawir’s most vital projects involves not just future generations of animals, but humans too. “Children throw stones at dogs and cats. It is a culture in which they are raised,” Dr. Khalaf explains.
Dr. Khalaf explains that Lawir one day plans to give lessons on animal protection in local primary schools, which would involve bringing in friendly animals and teaching children not to harm them as well as how to interact with them properly. “Our goal is to spread the culture of animal protection among young and old people to define humanity as not just respecting people, but animals, too.”