Responding to crisis is not unfamiliar for Animals Lebanon: rescuing animals through the 2006 war, the 2020 Beirut port blast, and the escalation that began in 2024 has shaped how Animals Lebanon responds to emergencies, helping them act quickly and effectively during the 2026 country-wide escalation.
About Animals Lebanon
“Most people think we are an animal shelter, but we are much more than that”, Reem Sadek, Animals Lebanon’s Operational Manager, says. The organization works on what it describes as the root of animal suffering, combining rescue work, education, campaigns, and support for pet owners and animals in need. They also had a leading role in the drafting of a law that was successfully passed in 2017, ensuring the welfare and protection of animals.
The average day in the clinic starts with the team checking up on the animals already under care, administering medication, feeding, and cleaning. After that, the team meets to review ongoing cases and requests received from the public.
Since the 2026 escalation, the routine was broken and replaced by a much more intense workday: the team went from receiving 20 to 40 assistance requests a day to a much bigger and more challenging workload. Animals Lebanon took the initiative to expand its capacity by opening an additional floor for its clinics and by increasing its cleaning staff from two people to four to keep a hygienic environment for the pets in need.
A Shift in Needs
For the first two months of the war (March – April 2026), most of the emergency response conducted by Animals Lebanon involved rescuing animals from the rubble in Dahye and the South. After that, the type of requests shifted significantly: many requests came from displaced families seeking food and medication for their pets. Many displaced individuals have no choice but to keep their pets in their cars, leaving them more vulnerable to illnesses and prolonged stress. Others are struggling to provide for their pets after losing their income or their jobs.
With more requests than the organization can address at once, the team at Animals Lebanon has had to work according to priority: the most urgent cases are the ones involving an animal in pain. “When I say in pain, I don’t only mean injured. Starvation, neglect, extensive matting, and other conditions can cause prolonged suffering”, Reem explains. “The whole situation is a challenge; every day we need to tackle new issues that arise”.
Learning from the Past
The repeated disasters that have struck Lebanon have required Animals Lebanon to get involved throughout the years. This means that by the time the 2026 war escalated significantly, their team was already familiar with the protocols and effective systems needed.
They started arranging cages more effectively, coordinating rescue operations, and managing feeding stations. They built a network in Dahye and in the South, where they had 14 and 13 feeders in each area, respectively.
The extensive experience Animals Lebanon has with conflict has made their response in 2026 more organized, but definitely not easier to sustain. Reem says that it became increasingly challenging for Animals Lebanon to secure donations and foster houses, while the cost and demand of emergency work have grown and keep growing exponentially.
Supporting a Wider Response
Animals Lebanon has been supporting a variety of other animal welfare groups. Assisting more than seven official NGOs and between 10 and 12 grassroots initiatives by providing food and other resources.
For Reem, two needs stand out above everything else: funding and foster homes. “If we had more foster homes”, she explains, “everything would be better and easier”.
As the crisis continues, Animals Lebanon relies on the systems it has built through years of responding to emergencies. Unfortunately, its ability to keep on responding depends on whether those systems can be supported with the people, space, and resources they require.
How To Help
There are several ways to support Animals Lebanon’s work.
Financial donations can be made through their website, while those who prefer to donate through OMT or WHISH can contact the organization directly through Instagram (@animalslebanon).
One of the team’s most urgent needs is foster homes, which provide rescued animals with a safe place to stay while they await adoption or further care.
People can also volunteer, sponsor an animal or medical case, donate food, medication, or other requested supplies, support adoption efforts, or help amplify Animals Lebanon’s emergency appeals.
Companies can contribute through corporate sponsorships or in-kind donations, while fundraising initiatives and international rehoming or animal-transport support can also be arranged in coordination with the organization.
Clara Ghorayeb
Clara Ghorayeb earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology at the American University of Beirut (AUB), with a minor in Gender Studies. Her interests include structural inequalities, collective care, and social issues in Lebanon and the broader region. She has also been involved in volunteer and activist initiatives focused on social and humanitarian issues.