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Gazan personally finances rescue for stray animals

A Palestinian citizen has launched the first welfare society in the Gaza Strip for stray dogs and cats, as there is no government funding or official organization for attending to these animals.
Palestinian man Saeed el-Aer (L) trains stray dogs with other boys on the property of the organisation he helped set up, the Sulala Society for Training and Caring for Animals, in Zahra, south of Gaza city July 17, 2016. Picture taken July 17, 2016. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa - RTSIUK4
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GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Every morning, Said al-Arr, a Gazan of Bedouin origin, roams the streets of the Gaza Strip to find stray cats and dogs and provide them with food and health care. He then takes the animals that need constant care to his own association, which specializes in the care of stray animals, a first of its kind in Gaza.

There are no official associations or nongovernmental organizations — local or international — dedicated to the care of stray animals in Gaza, as raising pets is not a popular hobby among citizens. Taking care of animals is costly, and Gazans can’t afford it in light of their harsh living and economic conditions.

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