Day of Animal Rage

Dear friend:

From personal observation I gather that to be non-human in the Middle-East or North Africa must feel like being in the shower stall scene of "Psycho" day after day, from birth to death. Those of you too young to know what I'm talking about, imagine "utter" terror. There is little concern for animals in the region, as their general appearance and living conditions attest. Almost as tragic and heroic are the rare natives and dwindling number of expatriates who try to help them.  A case in point is the Egyptian Society for Mercy to Animals; visit them and find out what they are up against with not just endemic neglect and abuse, but massive starvation of the horses and camels the tourist industry used to keep on their hooves, if not much else.

Animal welfare organizations like ESMA are rare in the agitated Maghreb and Mashriq. I know first hand of the life-saving efforts of the Bahrain SPCA and Saudi PAWS. Remarkable people fighting the good fight with minimal help from the one-and-only giver to lost causes, the USA. If any of you know of other animal organizations in the region -- we probably can skip Libya -- would you please let me know, so I can at least acknowledge them in my blog? They need and deserve recognition.

What about sending help? Trying to alleviate human Third World problems puts money in the pockets of those who make it what it is. The victims never get food, medicines, nothing. Nor do I like to see international humane organizations split my modest donations 80-20 between overhead and actual succor. Being an avowed cynic, I would go out on a limb, however, to trust people like ESMA volunteers on the ground who, under the most adverse conditions, are feeding and giving veterinary care to dying horses and camels.

It is not constructive to grapple, like I do, with even the best-case scenario -- animals are kept alive with our donations... the next dictator is elected... people temporarily placated...  tourists return... and the horses and camels are back carrying people from sun to scorching sun for what!? .... Living in the "Psycho" shower stall? The fact is that without external help there are no alternatives for them, but death now. It is my hope that you, like ESMA, BSPCA, and SaudiPAWS have a more optimistic view of the regions's future than me. And while you're at it, send a donation to your hometown's favorite animal charity too.

Thank you.

-- Dolores