Before you give $$$

Look for the follow up to this blog later on today. Re-posted from Simply LeAnne, it's about time that the sad truth came out. 

Letters from Egypt: Before you give $$$

Animal welfare is not even an afterthought in Egypt, but one organization has many believing that it is bringing this issue to the forefront with its so-called charity.

Enter Egyptian Society for Mercy to Animals (ESMA).

ESMA’s website touts that it is “a charitable organization registered in Egypt (No. 3059/2007).” It was formed in late-2007 in “response to a horrific shooting spree of street dogs by the Egyptian government.” Thus, a small group of Egyptians and expats came together to “fight this notion of population control and to protect and rescue animals in immediate danger.” Their exact protection and rescue methods are in question with a recent report released on mistreated horses questioning the organization and stable (please refer to link provided at bottom of page to note the finger-pointing and discrepancies listed as well as comments).

If adequate animal welfare is in question amid donations continuously pouring, you have to eventually ask yourself where the donated items and money is dispersed (many non-profits use most of the funds for “administrative” purposes, ie many times filling the pockets of a select few within the organization).

After my Facebook newsfeed was bombarded with ESMA’s desperate need for donations and rumors began circulating as to where exactly these donations were going, I decided to do some further research. I sent an email directly to Mona Khalil, ESMA founder and board chairman, posing as a potential donor with substantial funds deriving from US contacts.

Prior to contacting Mona, I posted on ESMA’s Facebook page: “Does ESMA keep detailed financial reports of the donations it receives and where the money is allocated in its entirety?”

To which an ESMA member responded: “Yes LeAnne, ESMA keeps receipts and full details of donations. If you would like to review them, you are more than welcome to come visit our accountant at the shelter in Shabramant.”

Immediately after this response, I received a phone call from the ESMA member whom informed me that he had been so busy rescuing animals and was getting tired of the “accusations” regarding ESMA. To which I replied that as a potential donor, I was well within my rights to inquire as to the allocation of funds in order to ensure transparency. I added that the US donors also need clarification in order to obtain the tax write-offs which required documents and since the organization is registered as a non-profit in Egypt backed by a US non-profit, then I knew documentation must be compiled. The ESMA member informed me again that I was welcome to come to the shelter and personally review the records which led me to inquire about electronic documentation. He then assured me that he would send an electronic version of the organization’s 2010 records.

However, I received a very different response after my email to Mona dated October 4 which read:

Hi Mona,

I am inquiring about further information regarding ESMA for potential donations. I collect funds and items from various friends in the expat community in Cairo as well as friends abroad (mostly the US) for charitable contributions and I'm always looking for new causes to contribute.

In order to determine where the funds/items will be donated, I was wondering if you or someone at ESMA could provide more information. Since ESMA is a charitable organization, can you please provide me with financial records to show the money received and its allocation? I'm sure you understand, but I must check these facts before giving such sizable donations to ensure transparency as many of my US contributors use this as a tax write-off.

Your earliest response is greatly appreciated.

Debbie Smith, ESMA Treasurer, replied on October 9:

Dear LeAnne,

Mona forwarded your email to me, so that I can respond to your questions. Are you here in Cairo or in the US? Regarding making a tax-deductible donation to ESMA from abroad, we are fiscally sponsored by Animal Diplomacy, which is a registered US 501C3 non-profit organization. There is a link to the Animal Diplomacywebpage from our site (www.esmaegypt.org), and most donations from the US and other countries outside Egypt are processed in this way through Paypal. I am cc'ing Kristen Stilt on this, who can answer any questions you may have about Animal Diplomacy.

On the other hand, If you or your friends are here in Egypt and want to make a donation, it is easy enough, you can just contact me or Mona to arrange for it to be picked up, or go to the shelter where our bookkeeper is working and drop it off there. In either case, you can specify if there is a specific program (i.e. shelter, horse feeding, etc), animal, or purpose that you want any donations to be applied towards and it will be directed to that purpose. I hope this was helpful, and thank you for your interest in raising money for animal welfare in Egypt.

I immediately responded:

Dear Debbie,

Thank you for your response; however, my initial question remained unanswered. In order to properly contribute, my donors as well as myself need verification as to the money received and its allocation in order to ensure credibility as well as for tax documentation. As far as the funds we raise, we would like to further explore your programs to better attain where the most need is (including amount of animals separated by category).

We require this information from any organization that we’ve worked with, including Egyptian organizations like the Spirit of Giving.

I was instructed to visit the site in order to look over the paperwork, but electronic documentation should be readily available in order to also provide Animal Diplomacy an update, among others.

Please contact me at your earliest as we are getting ready to determine which organization should be the recipient of this year’s donation.

I understand being an animal lover. I happen to be one myself. I, in addition to many of my friends, have also taken in unwanted/abused pets. However, I also have a few pet peeves and one of my biggest has to be so-called charitable organizations that seemingly operate under the guise of “the greater good” yet take contributions without proper documentation of where the money is allocated. If ESMA’s claims of its “commitment to improving animal welfare in Egypt” were true, why are there such obvious discretions from financial statements to vaccination records? What’s even more worrisome is the Animal Diplomacy’s website that has no information available except how to donate and that it supports ESMA. In addition, try doing a search on further information from this US organization and its contact. All you will find is an address (1227 B Central Str, Evanston, Ill. 60201) to send checks, but no phone number, email, foundation information (inception or founders) or even specific tasks in which it operates. In fact, the only other charity it supposedly supports as listed on its site is ESMA.

Is it just me or does this not add up?

Debbie responded to me again:

Thanks for your email and I appreciate your concerns.

I am curious who you are representing when you say my donors, are you asking as an individual, or on behalf of an organization, or a group of people?

Regarding the initial question being unanswered, are you asking for verification of how much money is received and where it is allocated? if you are asking to see our financial records and reports, under Egyptian law and on the advice of our lawyer, we do not provide our financial records to individuals.

However, we are in full compliance with the reporting and auditing requirements of the Ministry of Social Affairs, our fiscal sponsor Animal Diplomacy, and any foundations we have received grants from, and according to our organizational bylaws and governance, and handle all donations of any size and from any source in good faith.

In any case, if you are an American donating here in Egypt to an Egyptian NGO, you will not be eligible for a tax write off with the IRS anyway. I directed you to the site as a way of making a donation through our fiscal sponsor, in the event that you or another US citizen wants to make a tax deductible donation.

If by further exploring our programs, you would like to know about what areas we are active in, and how many animals we are currently responsible for, or discuss what the areas of greatest need are, you could meet with me and/or with Mona Khalil in person if you want. You can also visit the shelter in Sakkara or attend the next scheduled horse feeding at Nezlet Al Samman, or volunteering is also a good way to experience some of what we are doing and meet others who are involved with ESMA one way or another. I think this will give a better idea of the scope of what we are doing and what the needs are.

If ESMA is in compliance with governmental laws, I wonder if the organization was informed about new legislation passed in June that had the Egyptian Minister of Social Solidarity, Dr. Gouda Abdel Khaliq, warning “civil society associations and NGOs against applying for foreign grants” and called direct US funding to Egyptian NGOs a violation of Egyptian sovereignty. Under Egypt’s Law on Associations and Foundations (Law 84 of 2002), civil society organizations are prohibited from receiving funds from abroad without the approval of the Ministry of Social Solidarity. Violation of this provision of the law is punishable by up to six months imprisonment. Furthermore, how is the organization reporting its figures, particularly the funding received via PayPal?

When posting a comment on ESMA’s page that is anything other than praising their work, instant attacks begin in retaliation. For instance, when someone whom was helping in relocating ESMA-rescued horses inquired about the donated horse gear and its absence, an ESMA member replied: “i suggest you start opening your eyes and looking at what efforts are being made, rather than always bringing us down. Where do your loyalties lie? To the animals like us? If they did I would expect a very different method of communication from your side. Sadly, it seems your communication methods are too political for an organization that does not play this game.” The ESMA person also called via mobile and used such intelligent language as, “You’re a douchebag.” Bravo. This is exactly the type of mentality that makes me a) interested in volunteer opportunities and/or b) donating believing in its cause.

My advice: if you were thinking of donating to an animal rescue organization in Egypt, look elsewhere like the Egyptian Society of Animal Friends (ESAF) as ESMA raises (or should at least) too many red flags. And to any ESMA member reading this, if you would like to justify these claims then provide the financial documents – it’s not hard unless you’re hiding something. However, based upon your previous actions, I would assume that you question my affinity for animals. Just because I question your transparency does not mean that I love animals less than any of your volunteers.

For those ESMA volunteers that do genuinely care about animals, I sincerely applaud your efforts; however, the organization in its entirety should be more transparent so as to ensure its donors that their contributions are being placed in good hands and for a good cause.

I adopted Layla in 2004 from Tucson Animal Control

Further reading:

Remember, there are three sides to every story: hers, his and the truth. Look at these two reports and make your own judgment. The issue more than likely falls on both ESMA and the stable, but finger-pointing is not a solution. Instead, I would like to encourage both parties, in order to avoid another similar incident in the future, to work on a compromise behind closed doors that places the animals at the top of their agendas – not a he said/she said public sparring.

Report on the Condition of ESMA Horses At H.K. Stables

By ESMA ‘Egyptian Society for Mercy to Animals’ on Monday, October 17, 2011 at 12:50 am (Cairo time)

After this report was published PFK posted a response on its FB page which I will not repost here because it’s lengthy, but suggest you visit its page and look for the report dated October 17 (Monday) at 11:21 pm.

Further response to allegations posed by ESMA member:

Dear Team Kareemers

By Prince Fluffy Kareem on Tuesday, October 18, 2011 at 12:38pm

And with all the finger pointing, does no one question where the money is going? Just like with any potential donation, please make sure to research the charity and ask pertinent questions. Any evasive responses should immediately trigger a red flag. For those of us living in Egypt, many times we want to give because we feel much more fortunate. Give give give, but give wisely (and I strongly urge you to donate other items including time before so readily giving money).

ESMA Adoption Campaign Information

Compassion – noun: A feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.

When you think of compassion, what images come to your mind? Many of us associate compassion with a kindred human spirit; to see suffering in another human being is often unbearable. But there’s a special kind of compassion that can be found deep within; compassion for the animals that share the world around us. 

The Egyptian Society for Mercy to Animals (ESMA) survives on this compassion and a deeper understanding of the bonds that can be shared between man and beast. ESMA is a non-profit animal rights organization based in Cairo which began its operations in 2007 in response to the mass shootings of dogs and cats. Surviving on a group of dedicated volunteers, ESMA has helped to change the lives of many a person and animal alike.

The streets of Cairo are notorious homes to many a stray cat and dog. These animals are often forgotten victims of the rush of city-life. ESMA has taken in hundreds of critical cases in need of urgent veterinary care and compassionately helped them on the road to recovery. At this time, ESMA’s shelter is home to approximately 600 cats and dogs rescued from the streets. These animals are looking for their forever homes, and this is where you can come in.

Rescuing an animal not only means you have given them a second chance in life.  The rewarding feeling that comes with rescuing an Egyptian stray lasts for years and years to come; each day, you can wake up knowing that you have truly made a difference in the life of one animal. This in stark contrast to the increasing trend of “designer dogs and cats” that is sweeping the country; where has this sentiment come from? Sadly, this is only increasing the number of animals that are left without homes as many people will take in a purebred only to later realize that they are not equipped to deal with the special needs of these dogs and cats. ESMA has seen it all.

Deputy Adoption Coordinator for ESMA Alaa Sharshar comments on the growing number of abandoned animals in Cairo, saying “In Egypt we have just experienced a Revolution. Everyone is proud to be Egyptian at the moment. Shouldn’t this mean that we should also be proud to give the Egyptian animals a kind and loving home?” Hauntingly true words spoken by this dedicated ESMA volunteer. Mr. Sharshar explains that he has overseen the adoption of a number of animals, cats and dogs being adopted within Egypt, and even some lucky cases being flown outside of the country for international adoptions. He assured me that ESMA is fully prepared for many adoption and foster home scenarios. ESMA animals are fully vet-checked and microchipped, and the animals that are old enough are safely spayed and neutered in an effort to prevent further overpopulation. Mr. Sharshar encourages people to get in touch with him directly to see what it is that you can do to help improve the life of one of Egypt’s animals.

Open your hearts and your doors to rescuing an animal, and you’ll wonder why you have not done so earlier. For more information, contact Alaa Sharshar on: 019 082 4552 or visit www.esmaegypt.org.

Auction for the Animals

Horses are one of my passions. I love riding, I love being with them, I love their majesty, basically everything about them. This is one of the reasons that the ongoing crisis with the horses in Cairo breaks my heart in so many ways. But at the end of every tunnel there is light. The continuing horse feeds with ESMA have managed to revive animals close to death, and although there is a long ways to go, the road seems less tiring with the multitude of support and generosity that has poured in.

The continued horse feeds are now watched with anticipation around the world. Indeed, there are two stories of human generosity and the unimaginable will to survive of a horse. Prince Fluffy Karim (PFK) and Na3na3 (which means "mint" in Arabic) are names notorious with the ESMA horse feeds. Rescued by one selfless student, Na3Na3 and PFK were in some of the worst conditions that the horse feeds have yet to see. Marte, the student, had to do something, and immediately set wheels in motion. She bought Na3Na3 and PFK over a 4 week period, and has tirelessly worked to getting both of them healthy, and happy, again.

Prince Fluffy Karim on the day that he was rescued

Na3Na3 on the day she was rescued, not even
enough energy to stand

Marte has not been alone. Facebook has generated a phenomenal amount of support for these two horses, and the buck does not stop here! The next big event for PFK and Na3Na3 is one that we can all participate in; an auction for the animals. All proceeds will go towards ESMA and the horse feeds, in the hopes that perhaps we can ease the burden of life for more animals than just PFK and Na3Na3. Here's how:

ESMA, who we raise awareness for, have only enough funds for ONE more feed. Ramadan is nearly here and because of fasting no one will hand out feed for four weeks – meaning our horses will die of hunger. We are holding an online auction, where team members donate an item for sale with the full sale proceeds going to ESMA. and I am asking all of you to help.

ALL WE NEED IS YOUR TIME, WE ARE NOT ASKING YOU FOR MONEY. This is how it will work.

Take a picture of an item you wish to DONATE (clean/working order please, if not new)

• Write a concise description of it.

• Find out the postage cost to post within your country and tell us what country you are in.

• Find out the postage cost for overseas. (other side of the world)

• Send this information with a photo to PFK_ESMA@hotmail.co.uk      (Colin Ball is admin for this)

When the auction goes live, if you would like to bid on other peoples donated items, look through the items in the album on PFK’s face book site and to bid just use the comments box underneath and type the amount you wish to

bid. I.e., …..I bid £2.50 …..This will continue, possibly with others out bidding you, until the date and time arrives for the auction to end.

Colin will email who has won the winning bid with instructions on how to pay, we have set up a special account within Colin’s own on-line shop for this – you can only bid if you have Paypal, please do not bid if you cannot use Paypal.

Once you have paid you will be put in touch by email with the seller of your item and between you decide how you send the postage money to them, Paypal, Chq, Postal Order etc. Once they receive your postage money they will

send you the item.

My suggestion therefore is smaller items that you maybe bought and never used but will suit someone else a treat. It’s for a fantastic cause and I hope lots of you join in. Other charities do this al lot and its good fun and very helpful for the charity. Quite frankly this is the horses’ only hope at the moment so PLEASE help. I try not to ask directly for money on the site because I think the site is about more than that, we are a family but we do need your best foot forward right now TK’s.

 As you can see we are all working on a huge amount of trust, so please behave in a genuine and honest manner if participating in the auction. We can only put you in touch with each other the rest is up to you.

Thank you Teamsters

Come on guys, I know that you have at least one or two things lying around your house that you look at and think "hmm, I should really donate that," or "Why did I never use this?" And all you have to do is take a picture. That's it!!! Come the end of the Auction you will find out who has purchased your item, et voila! The expression "one man's junk is another man's treasure" couldn't be more true in this case. And who knows, maybe you'll uncover some treasure of your own in this auction!

For more information or to learn more about the heroic stories of Na3na3 and PFK, visit their facebook page.

Prince Fluffy Karim and Na3Na3 say thank you!

UPDATE: Case of dog thrown from roof

Below is the re-post of the report from ESMA on their progress with the DAs office in Egypt. I am so happy to see this result, it truly is a step forward in the right direction for animal rights in Egypt. In addition to this, the Egyptian Minister of Agriculture has also recently announced that he will implement animal rights legislation in Egypt.

See the full story here.

I have removed some of the names in the report for privacy reasons. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to message me.


The Beginning of “Justice”

On Thursday the 28th of April the following people went to get justice for the dog that got thrown off the roof:

[Names removed for Privacy Reasons]

We entered the “Second 6th of October” police station to file a criminal report against Ahmed Fouad Taye’e and Bahy Sabry Abdelaziz, for torturing a dog and throwing him off a roof.

Suzie Nassar had found the video posted on ESMA’s page by an animal lover who had found it.

We entered the police station at 2:30pm after first meeting up at Hyper 1.

As we walked in we definitely looked odd in that location and people were already staring at us, the first thought that came to our mind was that we were going to get laughed at and taken lightly.

We were met with respect and led to a room where we were going to place the report. A high ranking officer came in, sat at his desk and asked us what the problem was, we told him the story of the dog that was thrown off the roof and introduced Suzie as a founding member of ESMA and a board member, Phaedra Al-Masri as a group member/ supporter /volunteer and acting as translator for Suzie, Ahmed Hesham, a veterinary surgeon, ESMA supporter and also a key witness to the confessions of the boys to the crimes and had gone to the location to meet with them and be shown the roof that the dog had been thrown off, Mahmoud Mounir, corroborative witness who had accompanied Dr. Ahmed Hesham when he met the boys.

We all gave our passports and IDs to the officer who wrote down the nature of the complaint and our personal details and even mentioned that he had met Mona Khalil (ESMA chair person) once before at another police station when she was filing a report against dog poisoning.

We had cds that contained the boys’ admissions and the video of the dog being thrown off the roof.

After he took all the information he walked out of the office and we waited for about half an hour before he walked in again and sent us to the Chief of Police where we gave our statements, first Suzie was asked about the incident, then Ahmed Hesham described his experience with the boys when he met them and how he managed to reach them. We provided the police with the names and addresses of the offenders so that they could be retrieved, we then all signed our statements and expected to be called to the DA’s office the next day as is with most reports.

The Chief of Police surprised us by saying that he had sent for the boys and that we will be heading to the DA’s office in an hour, it was around 4:30pm by then…we were shocked.
The seriousness with which the police officials were taking this matter was unexpected by us at all, as I had mentioned before, we thought that they would take this matter lightly.

As we were walking out we were told that one of the boys had already been retrieved and was in one of the closed offices….we were about to jump for joy!!

We then headed with a police escort to the DA’s office, a 5-minute drive from the police station.

When we arrived, the DA had not arrived yet, it was 5:30pm. By 5:45pm we were introduced to the DA and sitting in his office.

He read the report sent from the police station and we told him the story in detail again. He had his laptop with him so we opened on all the links to all the outraged animal welfare groups and the petition that was being signed. We also showed him the link to our ESMA page on the Facebook and he was shocked by the feedback this awful incident was causing and the damaging of Egypt’s image due to such an act of barbaric cruelty.

He then saw the video, I had to walk out of the room, as I cannot until this day see it or hear it. When I walked back in the room, he looked disgusted and shocked by what he had just seen.

He proceeded to call his superior, he realized that this was not just a case of animal cruelty, but one that was widely publicized abroad, the phone call lasted for not less than half an hour, with the DA spelling out the links of the pages I had shown him on the internet to his superior who was checking them too, he confirmed what we were saying by assuring his superior that he had seen the videos himself.

His superior asked him and in turn he asked Susie whether she had another nationality and she said as I had said at the police station that she had an Egyptian nationality due to marriage to an Egyptian national, he then asked on behalf of his superior (who was still on the phone with him) why she was filing the report with her British passport instead of her Egyptian one and I told him that the chief of police was aware, told and had written down that she had both and did not have a preference as to which she used, and that we thought nothing of it, his superior then asked him for her husband’s name, occupation and address, all were given. He then hung up with his superior.

The DA was so shocked by the video, he even asked Ahmed Hesham and Mahmoud Mounir whether the boys seemed sane or not when they met them and they told him that they were perfectly sane, just indifferent boys with a complete disregard and disrespect for life and mercy.

Our lawyer went on to dictate to the DA article 357 of the Egyptian penal code that states that any premeditated harm or murder or poisoning of a pet is punishable by no more than 6 months in jail and a fine that does not exceed 200 Egyptian pounds. This is an unfamiliar article to most and so the lawyer had brought with him the book of Egyptian penal codes.

It was 7pm by then.

The DA asked us to leave the room and we were escorted to another room where we sat chatting for the first hour, confused for the second hour and quite anxious for the third, no one was telling us anything. The lawyer reassured us that the DA was finishing small cases and getting them out of the way so that he could make time for us, and that he was sure that the matter was snowballing, sure enough, the DA’s secretary walked in to get something from the room we were in and I asked him what was going on, he said that the problem had blown out of proportions and gone all the way up to the Attorney General, who had called a few times.

By 10:30 we were letting our imagination run wild…so many what ifs!!! What if they arrest us?! Why did they ask us so many questions that we felt were unrelated to the case?!!

The DA opened the door and apologized for the delay and said it won’t be long, by then Susie had walked out and came back saying that she suspected that the boys and their parents were there, Nouran walked out and came back and said that there was nothing sinister in regards to us and that she also thinks the boy is there, our lawyer had walked out and said he saw the lawyer of one of the boys in the corridor and overheard him speaking about the “dog issue”.

It was late and Ahmed Hesham needed to leave because he had cases at his clinic, we asked the DA who was standing at our door whether or not the doctor can leave and he said, that he could and that if he needed anything they would call him and ask him to come back. Ahmed Hesham, Mahmoud Mounir and Nouran left, but the DA said that Susie and I were still needed. Colin also stayed…and of course our lawyer.

By 10:45 we were back in the DA’s office and the formal questioning began, he asked Susie and I for our religions so that we could take the oath before testimony, we both stated that we were Muslim and raised our right hand and swore to tell the truth, I swore that I would translate with honesty and good faith.

The questions and answers were all about the incident, we answered thoroughly, stating every single detail, how we found the video, how we got the numbers of the boy “Ameen” who had originally uploaded the video, the day we discovered the video (April 23rd 2011), the day that Ahmed Hesham went to meet “Ameen” the uploaded (April 24th 2011) who led him to the other two. He asked us why Ameen agreed to do that, we told him that he had gotten so many negative comments on his Facebook profile from all over the world that he was ready to hand in the offenders in exchange for protection and that he himself was willing to testify, and that he wanted us to tell the world that he had nothing to do with it.

We left nothing out, we told him of the other two dogs that we had found detained in the boys’ house and how we sent a car with my drivers and Mahmoud Mounir in it to pick up the dogs after Ahmed Hesham had left and called us to tell us that the boys still had other dogs. We told him how one dog ran when the door was opened and how the other could not due to a break in it’s leg and that when we x-rayed the dog we found an older break in it’s hip as well indicating without a doubt that it was thrown more than once from the first floor of the building.

When he asked how she was personally harmed by this incident, she went on to say that we had just started baby steps in improving Egypt’s image in front of the world and on our way to truly improving the state of animal welfare in Egypt after the peaceful protest we organized in front of the Giza Zoo that ended with an invitation from the minister of agriculture to meet with him, and we did the very same day of the protest along with other Animal Rights Organizations in Egypt and that this crime had set us back in a major way internationally due to the widespread of the video all over the internet allowing the entire world to see the atrocities committed against animals in Egypt, not helping the already negative image that had been so prominent in the eyes of the world.

She stated that this had done her harm on both the professional and personal level, that she had suffered tremendously on an emotional level and was traumatized by the incident, as were all the animal lovers of the world.

Susie finished by saying that this cannot go unpunished.

Our lawyer ended the deposition by saying that we demand the application of the law to its full extent.

Then we signed the depositions, exchanged emails with the DA who was polite throughout the questioning, understanding of our position and sincerely promising to not let this matter go unpunished.

He told us that we are now released from the building and that one of the boys was already outside and that his questioning will start straight after we leave. When we asked about the other boy he said that he was on the way. We also asked what would happen after the questioning and he answered by saying that they will wrap up the investigation tonight and wait for the decision of the Attorney general in regards to the legal proceedings of detaining minors.

True enough, as we were leaving the building we saw one of the boys in the corridor seated with two men (it was the boy Bahy who had filmed the crime), he was wearing a baseball hat and looked at the floor as we left.

We had to stop Susie from attacking him.

It was 12:45am when we left.

Latest news today 29/4/11 at 11:49pm.

The boy Bahy Sabry Abdelaziz (the boy who shot the horrendous video) was questioned right after we left, he was handcuffed and sent back to the police station and has been detained until now.

The other boy Ahmed Taye’e (the one who killed the dog) is in hiding and the police are looking for him.
Bahy will appear tomorrow in front of the DA again tomorrow and they will determine whether or not he will be detained for another four days or not.

In all cases, he has now been officially accused and the papers and transcripts will be sent to court to decide on the date of the first hearing.

We have a case!!!

Tomorrow our lawyer is getting the copies of the transcripts from the DA’s office with the official serial numbers, will post as soon as I get them.

This is it for now folks.

ESMA Feeding Update

I've been really busy this past week, hence the hiatus! Have much to blog about.

ESMA has continued with the campaign to feed the horses, heading to Nazlat al-Samaan around the pyramids every week to hand out feed rations for one week. 

The most recent feeding from this past weekend saw ESMA volunteers hand out feed for 504 horses, alongside feeding some of the skinniest animals. Each feeding session sees more and more horses appear that have not been to the ESMA feeds before. Donations are crucial; ESMA is doing all they can to stay afloat but already have many cats and dogs in their shelters to take care of! Watch for a blog posting in the next few days on ESMA's adoption campaigns and what you can do to help. 

Some animals had never been to the ESMA feeds before

With more animals showing up that have previously never been seen at these feeds, two things become increasingly evident. Firstly, word of the feeding campaigns and the hard work ESMA volunteers are putting into everything have spread far and wide. Secondly, there is much yet to work on and many mouths to feed. Mona Khalil, co-founder of ESMA, estimates that it could take another six months of work to see any real change take effect in the pyramids area. Tourist are still scarce; although there are some locals who have returned to riding around the pyramids, the numbers are no where near enough to sustain the stable owners and their animals. 

Some of these thin animals showed up to the feeds with saddles on their backs. Without even enough strength to hold their heads up, these poor horses are expected to cart around their owners. Once the feeding campaigns have slowed down, ESMA faces the daunting challenge to increase education for stable owners. Only through education will these owners understand how to treat their animals, and that by treating them properly they will live longer and more industrious lives. 

ESMA is still in need of volunteers to help with the feeding programs. For more information, check out their facebook page here. Don't forget if you haven't already done so...Cat Bless You has pledged 25,000 $ to ESMA if they are able to reach 25,000 fans on their facebook. Check here to see what you can do!

Just one click to help ESMA!

I've blogged many times about the Egyptian Society for Mercy to Animals. Many of you are sadly familiar with the situation of the animals in Egypt.


Cat Bless You is a non-profit organization based in Santa Monica. As they say on their facebook page, they are "dedicated to celebrating cats and the joy that they bring to our lives. To all the cat lovers out there - click 'like' and join our page!"

Cat Bless You has pledged that if their page reaches 25,000 fans by May 15th, they will donate 25,000 U.S. Dollars to ESMA in Egypt. This is of course tremendous news, all it takes is liking their page.

Together, we can easily reach 25,000. All it takes is sharing and liking. As they say in Egypt, "Yalla Bina!"
Just to make sure, here again is the link to their facebook page!! 

ESMA Press Release II

The bond between a horse and rider is a difficult bond to describe. Horse lovers will tell you that to know a horse is to know love. A horse's eye holds a million stories, with a quiet intelligence that signals you are dealing with an animal that has heart, intelligence, and emotions.

Horses are found throughout the world, either as human companions or as work animals. Egypt is no different. One of the many delights that tourists found during their Arabian adventure was an opportunity to ride a horse or camel up to the Great Pyramids. It's an experience that many will treasure as a highlight of their travels throughout the country; witnessing one of the ancient wonders of the world on the back of animals who have helped elevate our societies and culture.

The recent unrest in Egypt devastated the tourism industry. While Egyptians struggle to return to their everyday lives, with few tourists returning the repercussions have spread far and wide. Many horse and stable owners that surround the area of the Great Pyramids have been faced with very grave decisions to make. Stable owners rely on the tourism market as their primary source of income. No tourists equals no money to put bread on the table, let alone feed in a horse's or donkey's stall.

The Egyptian Society for Mercy to Animals (ESMA www.esmaegypt.org) sent out a team of volunteers to asses the situation themselves. Their first day out in the area, ESMA volunteers spread the word that they would be providing feed for grossly malnourished horses. Using one stable as a base from which to work, ESMA volunteers were unable to anticipate the volume of people that began showing up.

ESMA had brought with them a combination of grain, bran, maize and chaff for the horses. All the food was carefully overseen by a veterinary nurse with many years of experience dealing with equines, as grossly malnourished horses have exceptionally sensitive stomachs. The rule was one bucket of food for the horses most in need. Feed was given to extreme cases to keep their horses alive for another two days. From their first day out in the field, dedicated volunteers have returned day after day to continue handing out feed to the direst cases. ESMA hopes to raise enough in donations to be able to return and bring more horses food. They are struggling greatly at the moment.

ESMA's most recent update on the situation indicates that more and more people are hearing of the program to help the animals. Last week in one day alone, ESMA volunteers witnessed over 600 horses lined up waiting for food. Estimates put the total number of horses in the area directly around the pyramids at 3000 alone - this is not including other areas in Cairo that are also witnessing mass starvation of their animals. ESMA volunteers now hand out ten kilograms of mixed feed per horse every Sunday, finances permitting.  

Along with no food for the animals, veterinary care has also been absent. Stable owners brought horses to ESMA with open wounds on their back, obviously infected. When asked why they had not had these wounds treated by the government appointed vet assigned to each district in Cairo, their response was simple. The vet is meant to give subsidized medication for stable owners in Giza; vet checks are meant to be free of charge. Instead, the vet charges extortionate prices on medicine and veterinary check-ups, so much so that many of the stable owners are simple unable to cover the costs of getting their horses checked out.

One stable owner told his story, commenting on the loss of his animals. He said that this week alone, he "has lost five horses." His horses are normally fed three times a day; yet he has been unable to feed his animals for many days now. An ESMA volunteer commented on the horse "graveyard" they witnessed: "There were at least 50 carcasses, most of them in 'the bloated stage' and Beth informed me those were the ones that had died most recently.  We also found the carcasses of 3 camels, which we knew later from the owners had 'starved to death'.  The most distressing of all the dead animals were the dead foals lying next to their mothers..."

This terrible situation that stable owners are facing is not likely to end until the tourism market in Egypt picks up again. This could take months. These animals do not have that kind of time.

This is a call for help. This is our chance to help save the life of an animal, at least to ensure that it will be fed for one more day.

To Donate, please visit http://esmaegypt.org/blog/how-to-help/

About the Author

Susan Richards-Benson is a journalist who has been living and working in Egypt for the past five years. An avid horse lover, Susan has actively campaigned for the rights of animals in Egypt. She has been volunteering with ESMA since 2010. To see more, check out her blog at: www.egyptunbound.blogspot.com

Unrest in Egypt Leaves Many Dogs and Cats Homeless

My article as published in The Bark.

Unrest in Egypt Leaves Many Dogs and Cats Homeless

Egyptian Society for Mercy to Animals needs help

Susan Richards-Benson | February 27, 2011

Stray dog in Egypt taken in by ESMA during the revolution; no one has claimed him. Headlines around the world have tracked the recent upheaval in many parts of the Middle East. What started in Tunisia spread like wildfire; demonstrations and protests have crippled many countries in the region. When demonstrations and clashes erupted in Egypt, chaos and disorder ensued. Looting, theft, violence marred the country, effectively putting an end to the tourism industry, damaging an already fragile economy, and pushing many expatriates to evacuate the country. When faced with the decision of leaving or staying in the country at potential risk to their own safety, many expats were forced to evacuate, leaving behind their homes and, sometimes, their family pets. Dogs and cats were abandoned on the streets or euthanized as worried owners struggled with the burden of what to do next. Cairo is notorious for the numbers of stray cats and dogs that run the streets, but these animals stood out. Healthier and evidently well-fed, volunteers at the Egyptian Society for Mercy to Animals (ESMA) were seeing many cats and dogs that had been abandoned. ESMA is a non-profit animal rescue shelter based in the heart of Egypt, the capital city Cairo. It was founded by a few dedicated Egyptians and expatriates in response to mass shootings of dogs and cats in 2007 and has been fighting for the rights of animals in Egypt ever since. These three weeks of unrest had a devastating impact on organizations, such as ESMA, which is in urgent need of help to provide food and shelter to an increasing number of stray cats and dogs. In the beginning of this year, ESMA’s shelter provided refuge for more than 600 cats and dogs. Run entirely on donations and volunteers, the rescue society relies on the generosity of others. This need today is greater than it has ever been. During the period of unrest, ESMA volunteers picked up more than 26 abandoned cats and dogs left in the streets to fend for themselves. As the country works toward rebuilding its future, the future of these animals remains uncertain. To this day, nobody has stepped forward to claim the animals taken in by the rescue shelter, and ESMA struggles with the burden of feeding more than 600 cats and dogs on a daily basis. “We are continually struggling to locate/buy food, medicines, pay the rent and the workers’ salaries, and even find detergents and disinfectants,” says Susie Nasser, a founding member of ESMA. “We are only able to offer our animals one meal, instead of the usual two meals per day.” Animal lovers worldwide have banded together to help ESMA during their times of dire need. Donations from pet owners throughout the world have helped in keeping the rescue shelter afloat, but the light at the end of the tunnel is still far away. ESMA is sending out a plea for help from every dog, cat or animal owner throughout the world. Even a small donation can help to feed an animal for a few days. For more information or to find out how you can help, please visit ESMA’s website at www.esmaegypt.org. In addition to general donations, ESMA offers sponsorships for specific animals. When you sponsor an animal, you will receive pictures of your furry friend and updates as they increase in strength and health. From all of us at ESMA—both two-legged and four-legged—thank you for your consideration. We hope to welcome you all back to a better and brighter Egypt!

ESMA work animal update

 Below is the most recent update from ESMA on the status of the work animals in Egypt.

Today at Nazelt El Seman, we had the largest turn up of horses and horse owners since we started the feed program. We had what seemed to be approximately 600-700 horses lined up infront of Sondos stables, where we usually distribute the feed from.

As this number is much larger than what we were used to in the past feeds (usually 300 horses on average), things were a little harder to control, but we managed eventually to distribute all the feed with no incidents thanks to the help of our local contacts.

We managed to feed a total of 404 horses for 4 days (the largest amount of feed distributed since we started distribution). We had many new horses and locals come for the first time, as the word is starting to spread that we are committed to coming in regularly and providing the feed.

We have made a modification to one of our methods of distribution in order to become more efficient. Instead of allowing horse owners that have previously received from us to receive feed with just their ID's, we are now insisting that all horse owners come with their horses. We are marking the horses that have received feed, and by doing this, we are avoiding that a horse owner receiving feed with an ID, is having another person receiving more feed with his horses that the food was intended for.

Our coming feed will be on the 25th of February, starting 11 AM at Sondos stables. Pictures and updates to come soon.

Alaa Sharshar

Deputy Volunteer Coordinator - ESMA 

www.esmaegypt.org

ESMA Press Release

Headlines throughout the world have tracked the recent upheaval in many parts of the Middle East. What started in Tunisia spread like wildfire; demonstrations and protests have crippled many countries in the region.

Egypt was one of these countries. Egypt, the land known for its ancient history which bore the roots for modern civilization has long been a hot destination for tourists. Tourism is one of the primary means of income for the Egyptian economy. The unrest put an abrupt end to this form of income, which even to this day is struggling to recuperate.

The Egyptian Society for Mercy to Animals (ESMA) is a non-profit animal rescue shelter based in the heart of Egypt, the capital city Cairo. ESMA began its work in response to mass shootings of dogs and cats in 2007. Founded by a few dedicated Egyptians and expatriates, ESMA has been fighting for the rights of animals in Egypt ever since.

When demonstrations and clashes erupted in Egypt, chaos and disorder ensued. Looting, theft, violence marred the country, effectively putting an end to the tourism industry, damaging an already fragile economy, and pushing many expatriates to evacuate the country. These three weeks of unrest had a devastating impact on organizations such as ESMA, who to this day are doing all they can to stay afloat. ESMA is in urgent need of help to provide food and shelter to an increasing number of stray cats and dogs.

In the beginning of this year, ESMA's shelter provide refuge for over 600 cats and dogs. Run entirely on donations and volunteers, the rescue society relied on the generosity of others. This need today is greater than it has ever been.

When faced with the decision of leaving or staying in the country at potential risk to your own safety, many expats were forced to evacuate, leaving behind not only their homes, but their family pets also. Dogs and cats were left abandoned on the streets or euthanized as worried owners struggled with the burden of what to do next. The Egyptian city Cairo is notorious for the numbers of stray cats and dogs that run the streets, but these animals stood out. Healthier, evidently well fed, ESMA volunteers were seeing many cats and dogs that had been abandoned.

During the period of unrest, ESMA volunteers picked up over 26 cats and dogs that were abandoned by their owners and left in the streets to fend for themselves. As the country works towards rebuilding its future, the future of these animals remains uncertain. To this day, nobody has stepped forward to claim the animals taken in by the rescue shelter. To this day, ESMA struggles with the burden of feeding over 600 cats and dogs on a daily basis. When asked how bad the situation really is, Susie Nasser, a founding member of ESMA, said

"We are continually struggling to locate/buy food, medicines, pay the rent and the workers’ salaries, and even find detergents and disinfectants. We are only able to offer our animals one meal, instead of the usual 2 meals per day."

Animal lovers worldwide have banded together to help ESMA during their times of dire need. Donations from pet owners throughout the world have helped in keeping the rescue shelter afloat, but the light at the end of the tunnel is still far away. ESMA is sending out a plea for help from every dog, cat, or animal owner throughout the world. Even a small donation can help to feed an animal for a few days.

For more information or to find out how you can help ensure that these animals can live to see another day, please visit ESMA's website at www.esmaegypt.org. Alongside donations, ESMA also offers sponsorships for specific animals. By sponsoring an animal, you are sent pictures of your furry friend, and updates on their situation as they increase in strength and health.

ESMA has already helped hundreds of animals struggling in Egypt. Now, they need your help. Please take a moment out of your time to do what you can.

From all of us at ESMA, both two legged and four legged, thank you for your consideration. We hope to welcome you all back to a better and brighter Egypt!

About the author:

Susan Richards-Benson is a journalist who has been living and working in Egypt for the past 5 years. An avid animal lover, Susan owns one rescue dog herself, and has actively campaigned for the rights of animals in Egypt. Susan has been volunteering with ESMA since 2010.

ESMA update II

Below is the most recent report from ESMA on the situation of the horses, donkeys and camels in and around Cairo.

Although we are helping the situation greatly, there is still so much that needs to be done. For further information on how to donate, check here.

From everyone at ESMA, and our team of dedicated volunteers who are working tirelessly everyday to better the situation, thank you for your contributions thus far. We would not be able to do this without you!

**Note** This report details the visit of Dr. Luke Gamble. Upon returning home, Dr. Gamble arranged for two more vets from the World Veterinary Service to help out with the plight of animals in Egypt. They will head for the pyramids area tomorrow, after which I shall post updates with their visit here.**


Today ESMA was honored and very fortunate to have Dr. Luke Gamble of the World Veterinary Service (WVS) and host of Animal Planets "World Wide Vets", with us on site. Dr. Luke administered treatment for many horses, and gave advice on how to avoid certain injuries and medical conditions to the locals. Unfortunately Dr. Luke could not stay longer as he was flying out of Egypt, but it was an absolute privilege to see him at work.

While Dr. Luke and Beth Sartain were checking the animals and administering the treatment, we were also handing out rations from Mr. Hassan's stables (IEC) by the ring road. Later on we moved to Sondos stables in Nazlet El Seman, where hundreds of horses lined up to receive rations. We were able to hand out food for 2 days for approximately 300 horses, and still had to turn down many more waiting as we simply did not have enough!

Many of the horses are still emaciated, and it is more evident now that the rations are merely sustaining the horses and not helping them put weight back on. As we continued to hand out rations, we noticed 3 foals with their mothers, as well as several pregnant horses. These were given extra rations to ensure that they stay as healthy as possible.

Once more we were greeted very warmly by the locals, and received a lot of help from the stable and horse owners in the area, who collected ID cards for record, handed out the rations, and kept the crowd as organized as possible. Without their great contributions these feedings would be a lot more work and near impossible to handle. ESMA is greatful for all the help it has received from everyone to help the animals in crisis.


Our coming feed will be on the 20th of February 2011, thanks to a very generous donation from one ESMA supporter, who has provided us with enough food to sustain the animals for atleast 3 days. Everything will be documented and prepared for our coming report.

Thank you all for your support and god bless you.

Alaa Sharshar

Deputy Volunteer Coordinator - ESMA

www.esmaegypt.org

Dr. Luke Gamble came out to assess the situation and lend a hand

Again many stable owners showed up

Horses marked with numbers to denote stables

Words cannot describe

ESMA update

ESMA has continued to head out every day to the worst afflicted areas surrounding the pyramids. The load is not getting any easier, and it is crucial that we spread the word to as many people as possible to encourage donations.

The text below is copied directly from ESMA's assessment report on what exactly is needed per animal. As there are approximately 3000 animals in the direct area around the pyramids only, ESMA cannot afford to fund this of their own accord. This is not including the hundreds of animals abandoned by their owners who were forced to evacuate the country. (I shall post further information on these animals in a later blog).


Facts on feeding according to Beth/Stable owner's recommendations :

An average working horse needs the following in normal conditions, but can
survive on much less if not working.

Per day :

6kg of 'hard' food - consists of a mixture of maize/bran/chaff
In addition (for healthy horses only) 25kg per day of Barseem (local clover)

Current market prices from wholesalers (feed prices have tripled since the
crisis began) :

One ton of Barseem (clover) = LE250 (43 US $)
One ton of chaff = LE1000 (170 US $)
140kg of maize = LE 310

Hay and barley are expensive so people do not usually buy them.

 When you consider how much it can cost to keep a horse happy and fed in the US for example, these costs are minimal. We are asking for anyone who can afford even a 10 dollar donation. Every penny counts for these horses.

ESMA volunteers who hit the streets today administered Veterinary care to some of the very ill horses, as well as feeding many more. Every day that passes the situation worsens, and ESMA is relying on the help of individual donations.

Please if you can, visit ESMA's site for more details on how to donate.

Stable Owners wait for Feed