Refugees flee Syria with their pets

UPDATE Oct. 20

Katie Moore of Help with Refugees with Pets shares some good news about Aslan and his puppy, Rose: “He is safe but we are raising money for Rose Quarantine.” And, Pamela Selwyn of the same group, adds: “He is going to join other family members in Germany, so he will have a home, fortunately.”

***

The conflict in Syria has displaced more than 7 million people. Almost 4 million have become migrants and refugees trying to find a better life in another country. And, despite the potentially deadly journey to Europe, some of those people are also bringing their pets.

The United Nations Refugee Agency, or UNHCR, has been tracking – and helping – people impacted by war and disaster, including this 17-year-old boy from Damascus. Today, the agency posted his story on Facebook.

syrianboyanddog

I love my dog!“Some people will ask – you have only a small bag?””Yes.””And you bring your dog?””Yes.””Why?””I love my dog!”Many animal lovers will relate to this 17-year-old boy from Damascus, Syria. And we’ve seen many like him carrying their animals with them on the long journey from Syria, across the Mediterranean Sea and through Europe. When forced to flee home because of war, many people would never dream of leaving their pets behind.

Posted by UNHCR on Saturday, September 19, 2015

The teen walked 500 kilometres carrying his dog, Rose, as well as a pet carrier and a food and water for the puppy. The puppy even has her own passport.

syrianboypuppy

Earlier this month, photos surfaced of another family arriving in Greece with their cat. At first, they family was believed to have arrived from Syria, but actually came via Turkey.

 

 

The UNHCR says these cases are hardly isolated.

“Many animal lovers will relate to this 17-year-old boy from Damascus, Syria,” UNHCR wrote on Facebook. “We’ve seen many like him carrying their animals with them on the long journey from Syria, across the Mediterranean Sea and through Europe. When forced to flee home because of war, many people would never dream of leaving their pets behind.”

Photos UNHCR/Facebook

About the author

Recovering newspaper reporter.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.