According to AP, the Israeli army has continuously launched fierce attacks on southern Lebanon, forcing tens of thousands of people to leave their homes to seek safe shelter. Meanwhile, one man still insisted on staying to take care of animals abandoned by their owners during the evacuation.
The man's name is Hussein Hamza, he is the owner of the Mashala Shelter in the village of Kfour (Lebanon). Currently, there are about 200 dogs and many other animals at the shelter.
Hamza’s daily job is to drive around various areas in southern Lebanon looking for stray animals or pets abandoned by their owners to take in. When he returns to the rescue center, he feeds and plays with the animals.
Most of the operating costs are funded by donations from local and international people. He regularly posts videos of his work on his personal page and the Mashala Shelter homepage on Facebook, with the donation account information pinned at the top of the page.
Most of the posts have attracted a lot of attention. The online community has been full of praise and always prays for the safety of him and the animals at the rescue center.
In a video posted on social media, the 56-year-old man still tries to rescue the dog locked in a house despite the danger of falling bombs and stray bullets. Mr. Hamza then feeds the dog and returns it safely to Mashala Shelter.
“As long as I can reach the dogs and feed them, I will not leave,” said Mr. Hamza. He sees it as his responsibility. Although he loves the job, he still needs help from others. “I hope someone can lighten the load for me,” he said.
The United Nations estimates that around 200,000 people have fled their homes because of the war, while the Lebanese government says the number of displaced people has exceeded 1 million.
According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon over the past two weeks have claimed the lives of about 1,000 people, nearly a quarter of them women and children.
