{"id":771884,"date":"2026-03-11T10:10:38","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T10:10:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/?p=771884"},"modified":"2026-03-11T10:10:40","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T10:10:40","slug":"in-jnoub-two-lebanese-men-risk-everything-to-save-abandoned-animals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/en\/771884\/in-jnoub-two-lebanese-men-risk-everything-to-save-abandoned-animals\/","title":{"rendered":"In Jnoub, Two Lebanese Men Risk Everything to Save Abandoned Animals"},"content":{"rendered":"

Amid violent bombings in Lebanon\u2019s south, many animals, including pets, strays, and livestock, have been abandoned and left to fend for themselves. With nowhere else to turn, two Lebanese men, Houssein Hamze and Kassem Haidar, have stepped in, each running their own efforts to rescue and care for these animals.<\/p>

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1. Houssein Hamze<\/a><\/h3>

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In Nabatieh, Houssein Hamze runs the Mashala Shelter caring for over 200 animals, from abandoned pets to strays. When the war forced many families to flee, he stayed behind, determined to care for the animals left behind. <\/p>

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Even after his own home was destroyed under airstrikes last year, he refused to leave, treating the animals as his own children and ensuring they had food, water, and safety in the midst of chaos.<\/p>

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