In the years since the Syrian civil war broke out in 2011, Aljaleel became his hometown’s unofficial feline caretaker. Shortly after the crisis began, the former electrician had an opportunity to take his wife and three children to Turkey, where he had a promise of working as a mechanic. But along with his family, he chose to stay behind to help those less fortunate than himself, not just people but also animals.
“I regard animals and humans in the same light,” he says. “All of them suffer pain, and all of them deserve compassion.”
As a lifelong cat lover, Aljaleel first noticed a few strays hanging around the rubble of a home destroyed by an airstrike. He somehow felt compelled to feed them. Soon five animals turned into 10, then 20—as he says, “cats always find out when there’s food around.”
He estimates now he feeds about 150 cats today Thirty of the cats now have names, including his favorite, Zorro the Noble
“It brings the kids so much joy to play with them,” Aljaleel says. “I take great pride in the work I’m doing.”
Some might argue that Aljaleel’s time and resources would be better spent helping human victims of war. But the randomly few individuals and organizations that work with pets and other animals caught up in conflict zones firmly believe their efforts are more than worthwhile. Helping animals, they point out, helps people. Farmers’ livelihoods may be wrapped up in their livestock, while cats and dogs are often beloved members of the family. Many refugees have walked over 300 miles with their dogs or taken kittens aboard rafts headed for Greece.
As for the cats of Aleppo, their future is uncertain as is the future of Aljaleel.
“Every day, when I leave my house, I know I might not return,” he says. “In Syria, it’s only going from bad to worse.” Yet despite the escalating violence, he has no plans to leave or give up on the cats. Instead, he has aspirations of opening his own animal shelter and hospital. “I’m aware that other countries have lots more resources for animals, but here we don’t even have many good doctors, let alone veterinarians,” he says. “Although there is no such thing as animal shelters in Syria now, I dream of building one.”
Aljaleel feeds cats in Masaken Hanano in Aleppo, September 24, 2014. Alaa buys about $4 of meat everyday to feed about 150 abandoned cats in Masaken Hanano, a neigborhood in Aleppo that has been abandoned because of shelling from forces loyal to Syria’s president Bashar Al-Assad.
HOSAM KATAN/REUTERS