Animal Rescuers Risk Their Lives to Save Pets Amid Beirut Airstrikes

Beirut, Lebanon — Amid devastation caused by Israeli airstrikes on Beirut, a small but dedicated group of animal rescuers is racing against time to save innocent lives—those of the city’s abandoned and injured pets. 

Hours after a recent strike leveled a three-story building in Beirut’s Burj Abi Haidar neighborhood, killing at least 10 people, Maggie Sharawi, a member of Animals Lebanon, received an urgent call. A resident near the site of the attack reported that a cat, who had recently given birth to several kittens, had been killed in rubble. Sharawi and her team immediately rushed to the scene, navigating through debris, shattered walls, and twisted metal to reach the trapped kittens. 

Civil defense teams were combing the wreckage for human survivors, but Animals Lebanon, an animal protection organization, was focused on rescuing kittens whose cries echoed under ruins. After a difficult search,  days-old kittens were safely pulled from the rubble, placed in a plastic carrier, and whisked away from chaos. Ir mor had perished, but the team’s work continuedtheyas y searched for animals whose meows could still be heard from beneath the debris. 

“We believe that caring for animals is caring for humans. In the end, it is people calling us for help,” Sharawi said, underscoring the vital role organization plays amid ongoing conflict. Over the past three weeks alone, Animals Lebanon has rescued 190 animals from strike zones in Beirut and its southern suburbs. While some animals are reunited with their owners, many remain in the group’s shelter, safe from the horrors of war. 

A Humanitarian Crisis Extends to Animals 

violence between Israel and Hezbollah has displaced hundreds of thousands of people since the conflict escalated in October of last year. As people fled, many were forced to leave their pets behind. In southern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs, the animals were left vulnerable to intense bombardments. For organizations like Animals Lebanon, the stakes are high as they put our own lives at risk to enter dangerous zones and rescue animals. 

The conflict has intensified since Israel ramped up its airstrikes on September 23, further displacing people and leaving countless pets stranded. “Our teams are working 24 hours a day,” Sharawi said, describing the relentless nature of our missions to save pets from homes and war-torn neighborhoods. 

Ir work is difficult, often requiring me to enter buildings on the brink of collapse. In some cases,  animals are too terrified to be approached. In a recent rescue of kittens, two adult cats remained trapped in the rubble, too scared to come out. The team left metal traps baited with food, hoping cats would eventually enter m so they could be captured and brought to safety. 

When animals are injured, rescuers rush them to a clinic for urgent medical attention. Many pets I have rescued suffer from severe injuries, including broken bones caused by falling debris. Ors is too traumatized to move freely, forcing rescuers to adopt a careful and patient approach. 

A Growing Challenge in a War Zone 

Sharawi noted that the types of injuries and volume of animals needing help are overwhelming. “We are dealing with cases that we have never seen before,” she said, describing the extent of damage war has inflicted on animals. From broken bones to severe psychological distress, war has impacted se animals just as deeply as it has its human counterparts. 

Rescue work continues, as Animals Lebanon and or activists persist in ir dangerous efforts to save pets. Amid a growing humanitarian crisis in Lebanon, where hundreds of civilians have been killed in Israeli airstrikes, se rescuers have become a beacon of hope for animals caught in the crossfire. Its dedication to seeing vulnerable creatures highlights often-overlooked consequences of war on all forms of life. 

As conflict rages on, the mission remains clear: to save as many animals as possible and reunite them with their families, offering a small sense of comfort and normalcy in a world turned upside down by war.