Sanctuary to rescue homeless pets from Lebanon

Hundreds of homeless pets from Lebanon will begin their journey by cargo jet early next week to a no-kill sanctuary in Kanab.

The 3,500-acre Best Friends Animal Sanctuary is rescuing about 150 cats and 150 dogs from war-torn areas in and around Beirut.

"It's just a big mess there," said Michael Mountain, president of the Best Friends Animal Society.

With about $180,000 coming mostly from donations made through its Web site, www.bestfriends.org, Mountain said his group needs another $70,000 to cover all the costs of the transfer.

The plight of these pets began to unfold this past summer as Israel bombed Lebanon in reaction to Hezbollah's capture of two Israeli soldiers on July 12. As bombs fell, Lebanese citizens were told to evacuate their homes and to leave their pets behind.

The group Beirut for the Ethical Treatment of Animals stepped in and began rounding up the loose pets. But BETA's three shelters were either damaged or destroyed in the bombing.

Mountain said a German woman donated the use of her small farm to temporarily house the animals in the hills outside Beirut. But the situation on the farm has been deteriorating, with neighbors threatening to kill the animals. And Mountain said there is no cat food available in Lebanon, Turkey, Syria or Jordan.

Best Friends recently began sending its member volunteers from around the country — some brought cat food as luggage — to help out in Beirut. But time and resources have been running out for the animals.

"We just decided, what the heck, let's bring all 300 over here and get them into good homes," Mountain said.

Crates are in place and the pets are booked on a cargo plane that is scheduled to depart late Monday or early Tuesday, with stops in Manchester, England, where eight rescued monkeys will get off, and New York before arriving in Las Vegas.

The pets, which should soon be available for adoption, will join about 2,000 other animals currently cared for at the no-kill sanctuary located about seven miles outside of Kanab. Mountain said no general-fund monies generated by donations outside of this project are being used to fund the rescue.

Sanctuary workers are building temporary housing for the dogs and cats, using materials donated last year to help with the rescue of homeless pets in New Orleans after a hurricane devastated that area.

One question remaining is whether these pets, who may understand commands in a foreign language, will adjust to the English versions of "Here, kitty, kitty," "Sit," "Stay," "Come," "Heel," and "Get off the couch!"

"They do actually learn to translate it easily — they listen to sound and the tone of your voice," Mountain said. The sanctuary has taken animals from other countries in the past. "It's never actually been a problem."

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E-mail: sspeckman@desnews.com