Rescuing Animals in Times of War

Sulala Animal Rescue’s Impact in Gaza | By Diana Hulet (Writing) & Mahmoud Abu Hamda (Photography)

“I am a photographer interested in capturing art and everything beautiful. This war began and changed the features of everything forever.” - Mahmoud Abu Hamda

On October 11, 2024, just over one year into the war, photojournalist Mahmoud Abu Hamda stood outside Sulala Animal Rescue’s makeshift clinic within the Deir al-Balah refugee camp in Khan Younis, located in the southern Gaza Strip. While there, he watched as one woman arrived three separate times, each visit with a different cat in need of care. He observed the owner of an injured donkey being told to take better care of his animal. In these moments, Mahmoud felt a profound shift within himself, realizing that the people of Gaza are not the only ones who suffer.

---

Not long ago, Khan Younis was a vibrant city, bustling with markets and grounded in a strong sense of family and community. While the people of Khan Younis have maintained their resilience, the once-thriving city has been devastated by bombs, leaving most buildings uninhabitable. For over a year, Mahmoud has witnessed the unrelenting struggle and perseverance of the Palestinian people. Through his photography, documenting both the young and old, he has brought to light the daily horrors of life under siege.

Like many, he initially found it difficult to look beyond human suffering and focus his lens on the animals. However, on the day he went on assignment for the nonprofit Sanctuary Doc and observed people lovingly holding their cats or expressing deep concern for their animal’s health, Mahmoud experienced a revelation. He realized that the intense bond between humans and animals in times of war led to mutual suffering. This profound connection also fostered shared healing when both humans and their animal companions are seen and cared for. Sulala Animal Rescue stood as a testament of hope and compassion in a place where both are hard to find.

“Each time the owners see their animals being cared for, it sparks a glimmer of hope in their hearts, reminding them that there are still some beautiful aspects of life that continue to persevere amidst this tragic conflict.” - Mahmoud

A Legacy of Compassion

Each day, before the veterinary clinic opens, the Sulala team completes a full day of serving their community. In the morning and early afternoon, they run a school, in addition to also offering programs in sports, music, and art. Later in the day, the space transforms into a veterinary clinic managed by Sulala’s animal treatment team. Working alongside the rescue team, they provide compassionate and efficient care to every animal brought into the tents. Cases vary widely: from routine care to helping donkeys with wounds from heavy loads due to the conflict, and treating injuries from drone strikes and explosives. As night falls and the clinic closes, guards stand watch over the medicines and supplies, ensuring everything is safe until Sulala reopens the next morning.

Saeed al-Err founded Sulala Animal Rescue in 2006 to counter a government campaign aimed at eliminating stray animals. Before the war, the shelter housed 400 dogs and 120 cats. As one of the few organizations dedicated to animal welfare in the Gaza Strip, Saeed and his team worked tirelessly with limited resources to care for animals on the streets. The team regularly visited areas with large stray populations, providing food and building trust to administer vaccinations and other necessary veterinary care. Animals needing more intensive treatment or spaying and neutering were transported back to the veterinary clinic. Some dogs remained at the shelter, living out their days safely under the dedicated care of Saeed, his son Saed, and a team of committed volunteers. Much has changed since Sulala first opened its doors, yet Saeed’s vision for Sulala remains clear: to help as many animals as he can.

During a recent interview with Sulala Animal Rescue spokesperson Annelies Keuleers, she shared that, “Saeed has no choice but to do whatever he can for the animals and people of Palestine. This is what he is here to do: help the animals in Gaza before, during and after the war.”

Palestinians and their allies across the world wait for a ceasefire, and when the war is over, Saeed has a vision for the future of Sulala. “Saeed envisions the Gaza Strip free of stray animals, with multiple clinics offering spay and neuter programs to address the overpopulation of cats and dogs. He also recognizes the importance of carrying Sulala’s legacy into future generations. To ensure this, Saeed has begun to set up educational camps for children teaching compassionate animal care, and later plans to include post-war trauma therapy. In his heart, he feels responsible for every animal in Gaza.”

Tough decisions

At the end of 2023, as Palestinians fled northern Gaza after Israel issued evacuation orders via pamphlets dropped from the sky, Saeed and his team faced a heartbreaking decision about the dogs who would be left behind at the shelter in the north. What choice would give the dogs the best chance of survival? The team decided to open the shelter doors, allowing the dogs to roam freely. They left bags of dog food with small holes poked in them to ensure the food would last and not be consumed too quickly. Saeed and his team brought the disabled dogs with them, knowing these animals wouldn’t survive without daily care.

As of this publication, eight of the remaining dogs have miraculously found their way back to Saeed, traveling a perilous seven to eight kilometers to reach the one person they trusted to help them survive.

A Day at the Clinic

On the day of Mahmoud’s visit to the tent clinic, Saeed and his team listened to people sharing their stories and tended to the wounds and illnesses of the animals by their sides. The clients felt heard and seen and were more at ease knowing they were doing right by their companions. Mahmoud’s experience continued to be transformative. After his day of documenting, Mahmoud offered his reflections:

“Those moments inspired me to realize that compassion does not only apply to humans but extends to all living beings that require love and care. In a world facing pain and suffering, we all find ourselves in need of help, whether we are humans or animals.”

A day at Sulala’s clinic was unlike even the most unique veterinary clinics elsewhere, as it operates under the harshest circumstances—war. Yet, the mission remains the same: to reduce the suffering of animals and offer solace to the people who bring them in. While some cases mirrored those seen in typical clinics, these animals endured their illnesses or injuries under the immense stress of living in a war zone. This stress profoundly affected their ability to heal and recover and challenged the capacity of their caretakers to provide for them.

Esperanza’s Liberation

In times and areas of conflict, human suffering is often prioritized, and animals are frequently considered secondary or not considered at all. While the plight of dogs and cats often inspires the most empathy, there are other animals caught in conflicts who are rarely seen. Palestinians could not flee devastated areas without donkeys carrying entire families and their belongings. Many donkeys in the region are sick and dehydrated, yet they continue to pull extremely heavy carts and navigate dangerous terrain. Saeed does everything he can to find the most injured or ill ones to save their lives, offering them a place to rest and recover. Through a network of friends and allies, he locates suffering animals and sends a veterinarian or goes to look for them himself.

There is one donkey in particular who Saeed will remember for a long time. She was blind so could not see the bombs, rubble, or bodies. Despite having injuries that must have caused her terrible pain, she continued working and lived out her days in unrelenting toil. One day, her owner brought her into the clinic after the donkey had fallen and torn her lip. Sulala’s medical team explained to the owner that he had to bring her back every day in order for them clean and care for her wounds. At the time, Saeed began considering the possibility of buying her and giving her a better life. But the owner didn’t return for two weeks.

When she finally came back, battered and in terrible condition, securing her freedom became not just an option - it became urgent. With the support of a generous donor, he succeeded. Saeed removed the chains from her bleeding face, tended to her wounds, and gave her the chance to retire at last.They named her Esperanza, meaning “hope” in Spanish.

Less than twenty-four hours after she was freed, she sat down and never stood up again. She did not die alone; Sulala’s employee, Adel, stayed with her through her final moments. Perhaps this was all Esperanza needed: to be released from the burden of labor, cared for with tenderness, and offered a safe place to let go. She needed to feel love, just once, before her difficult life was over. Sulala’s role in Gaza is to help where and who they can, and sometimes this means helping animals find the ultimate peace.

---

A Call to Action

The animals in Gaza do not understand the reasons for their suffering and hunger. Like many of Gaza’s residents, they do not know when or how they will get their next meal, moment of compassion, or night of sleep. But the animals do know that they must survive -- beneath the rubble, caught in the crossfire, and accompanying humans as the war goes on.

Sulala Animal Rescue counts on donations to continue purchasing whatever food and medical supplies they can find, which is extraordinarily expensive. Animal food is not prioritized at the borders and often sits in trucks or never passes into the Gaza Strip. The dogs and cats survive on canned beans and meat supplemented by the occasional bag of dog food arriving at the shelter.

Sharing stories such as this one is essential to keeping the suffering of animals in view. Their lives are not secondary to the human experience of war. Humans and animals suffer and heal together, and in that togetherness, there is a sense of rising above the daily atrocities of life in Gaza.

When we bear witness to the immense suffering in our world, the effects can be heartbreaking. Yet, the world is also filled with people who care, and who step up on behalf of animals. The multimedia nonprofit Sanctuary Doc, founded by Raw Society Pro Member Thomas Machowicz, is here to tell their stories. Sanctuary Doc’s mission is to share visual stories of compassion for animals amidst some of the world’s greatest challenges—climate change, animal farming, deforestation, war, and conflict. The aim is to look for the good, while still bearing witness to the suffering.

Sanctuary Doc is currently fundraising to share more images and stories about the critical work of Sulala Animal Rescue. Your support will help hire Mahmoud to document additional days at the clinic, photographing the resilience of both the animals and those who care for them. Please join us in bringing animals to the forefront of the conversation about the costs of war. Help give the animals of Gaza, and the people helping them, the chance to be seen by the world.

---

Writing by Diana Hulet | Sanctuary Doc
Photographs by Mahmoud Abu Hamda
Editing by Jorge Delgado-Ureña & Mei Seva