Horse rescue in Hurghada

It's Eid in Egypt again. This time of year for many animal activists, particularly in Cairo, is marred by the slaughter of many animals, and the flogging of horses in the pyramids area from dawn till dusk to cart the holiday makers around. For stable owners in Giza, Eid means increased business. For horses, it means less rest and more running. A vicious cycle indeed.

It is no coincidence that I have chosen this time to introduce Hurghada's new horse rescue and rehabilitation programme. This is an attempt not only to highlight to readers the importance of picking horses that are well nourished, but also to underline that there are people out there doing their utmost to make a difference even if it is just in the life of one animal at a time.

Meet Cleo.

Cleo is a grey mare who was rescued from the Giza pyramids area just over one month ago. In the state that she was in, Cleo was still being used as a riding pony to take people back and forth from the desert.

Cleo on the day she arrived. The wounds on her back were
horrific. One was deeper than three inches. 

She had open gaping wounds where the saddle had rubbed her skin raw. She was listless, and barely had the strength to stand up herself, let alone be carrying people around!


Cleo is the first in what will hopefully become many horses to find a new home in the Continental Rescue and Rehab stables. Rescued by Claire Dunkerley and her husband Mohammed, Claire knew as soon as she laid eyes on Cleo that she was a special horse. At once, Claire began bargaining a price for her to give her the care and attention she so desperately needed.

After 1 week in the Continental

Upon arrival to her new home in Hurghada, Cleo was met with love, affection, and cleaning agents. Claire and I, Susan Richards-Benson, immediately went to work cleaning up her wounds (although my stomach of steel - hah! - meant Claire did a great deal more of the cleaning than I did!). The little mare was evidently distressed and in pain, but so weak that she could do little more than feebly turn her head in protest. Upon further inspection and vet checks, it was uncovered that not only was she grossly malnourished, this emaciated animal was also pregnant. This of course complicated the healing process, as generally a horse would be given a round of anti-biotics to help clear up the infected wounds. Cleo could not receive the same treatment for fear that it would cause a mis-carriage and jeopardise her own safety.

Instead, Cleo has been tended to daily by Claire, Mohammed, and their dedicated team at the stables. She has touched a piece of all of us; her lust for life is contagious and the strength she is already exhibiting inspirational. I have been blessed to be a part of her rehab, and have great hopes for what the future for this little horse holds.

The Continental Rescue and Rehab has one simple goal: to help the desperate and derelict horses throughout Egypt. What sets it apart from other horse rescues, is that the rescuing isn't the primary goal. Once the horses have been re-habbed and brought back to full health, they will be re-homed to a good home where they will never again suffer neglect at the hands of humans. Cleo was meant to be the first horse in a long line of many to be re-homed through the Continental, but her spirit has firmly implanted itself in the stable, and she will hopefully never have to leave again.

To this date Cleo has gained a whopping 15 kg. What makes her recovery process so remarkable is not only that she has not been given any anti-biotics, but when you compare her recovery to many other rescue horses throughout Egypt, her improvements which are seen daily begs the question: how are some of the horses we see that have been rescued months ago still emaciated? Is the entire "rescue process" in the country in need of an overhaul?

Cleo on October 31st.

Regardless of what the reasons are, her recovery process is incredible to watch. For anyone in the Red Sea, or for those who are planning on heading out to this area, I invite you to the Continental Rescue and Rehab, located at the Continental Hotel on Mamsha, to come and meet Cleo for yourself.

For others who would like to track the steps of her recovery, please follow our Facebook page here.

Do you know of any horses that are in desperate need of rescuing? Leave a comment on the page, and we will do our utmost to ensure that Cleo's story is not the only one of a horse in Egypt who's life has done a 180. 

It all started with one small country

I realise there are quite a few people who follow on here who will not have seen me post this elsewhere. Here is my article I wrote for the International Observatory on Stability and Conflict, and I'm thrilled with the result. Check out the OISC's website for further analysis on the evolving situation of the global protests. So happy to have collaborated with them.

Last spring, the western world watched with wonder and bewilderment the people once under colonialist submission rise to defend their right to self-determination. Concepts such as one man-one vote, direct suffrage, equality for all, redistribution of wealth and freedom of the press were defended amidst blood and sweat, the very same price western peoples paid for their freedom two centuries ago. More importantly, the western world watched as unarmed, young protesters without leaders made decades-long dictatorships fall, in Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, and more bloodily, in Libya. The once apathetic American youth received a massive electrical shock in 2008; placing all its hopes and dreams on the sole shoulders of President Obama, their activism is now focused against their own leader: corporate greed, corporate personhood, and corporate domination has to fall. The Occupy Wall Street movement has spread nationwide, is unarmed, without a leader, and is very much hoping to reclaim the American Dream. 2011 could be the year of worldwide successful revolutions; it could be the new Dawn of the People. But what are the consequences of such massive political overhaul? Is Occupy Wall Street the child of the Arab Spring, in a reverse clash of civilizations? Journalist Susan Richards-Benson, on the foreground of the new era, gives us a compelling analysis.

“One man, lighting himself on fire in protest of a continued reign of tyranny, through his actions lit a fire in the souls of people around the world”

The world today is trembling, and not just from the movements of its crust. People around the globe are unknowingly uniting together against one front: fighting the continued abuse of power that for so many years went ignored.

It all started with one small country. One man, lighting himself on fire in protest of a continued reign of tyranny, through his actions lit a fire in the souls of people around the world. What started in Tunisia quickly spread to Egypt. It wasn’t long before surrounding countries also began to feel the heat. The spirit of Revolution had been awakened.  But this time, people were not going to simply sit back quietly and accept the tirade of excuses presented by the powers that be. This time, the power of the people would triumph and their voices would be heard.

The Arab Spring sent shockwaves throughout the world. For many sitting in the comfort of their living rooms in the United States, there seemed little reason to be worried. These were countries far away with political policies that barely impacted their everyday lives. How could the United States possibly have anything to fear with the growing tides of revolution in the Middle East?

 

“Is it possible that people currently in New York really share the same grievances as the Egyptian youth staked out in Tahreer Square?”

The Occupy Wall Street movement serves as a reminder that revolutionary spirit is not limited to developing countries only. As more protesters flood the streets of New York, activists begin looking to protesters across the Atlantic for inspiration on how to best keep the momentum moving. If the revolution in Egypt proved anything, it was the power of social networking to inspire and unite. As with the Occupy Wall Street protests, media outlets initially ignored the growing tensions in both Egypt and Tunisia, leaving it to the protesters themselves to get the word out. Facebook and Twitter have proven to be monumental tools in coordinating protests, garnering support, updating on developments, and ultimately breaking through the blackout wall erected by both regimes and media outlets.

But how similar are the movements in reality? Is it possible that people currently in New York really share the same grievances as the Egyptian youth staked out in Tahreer square?

To answer this question, one must first examine what the root causes behind the protests really are. Are they simply the disgruntled and unemployed who have nothing better to do with their time? Or are they in fact the great majority of a population who have simply tired of being trodden on and suppressed by the ruling elite?

Egyptian society during the Mubarak era was highly striated; the difference between Egyptian and U.S. social hierarchies is that in Egypt, this societal structure is well known and documented. But now, due to global protests, more and more people in the U.S. are realizing that class warfare exists in their home country also. The fundamental difference between the two countries is that in Egypt, people came to accept this hierarchy as an absolute truth, whereas in the U.S. there is always hope that the “American dream” will become a reality if you work just that little bit harder, just that little bit longer.

The Egyptian revolutionary youth broke through this mentality. During the January Revolution, young and old, rich and poor, Muslims and Christians stood side by side united in their cause. Together, they toppled a regime that had kept them under lock and key for three decades. Together, through the power of the people they triumphed. Now however, Egypt is witnessing attempts to rip apart this social fabric that was so carefully woven during the Revolution. Egyptian media outlets are continuously dominated by stories of Muslims attacking Christian churches, of Christian business owners attacking their Muslim neighbors’ store front. It smacks of methods previously employed; methods which had successfully implanted in many minds of Egyptian citizens that they were not all equal and did not all deserve the same chances in life. It is an attempt to sabotage the undeniable solidarity that pushed Hosni Mubarak out of power to begin with.

Protesters in Wall Street should be watching carefully as these tactics are employed throughout Egypt. They too are facing similar tactics, with smear campaigns circulating the very social networks they used to get their message out in the first place. A picture is being painted of social activists who are merely attempting to stir up trouble, and true patriots should never question the ruling elite. It’s worked for centuries has it not? Why rock the boat now?

Tahrir Square, February 3

“They have learned a valuable lesson; one that should be translated to protesters throughout the rest of the world. In order for the power of the people to triumph, it must be united.”

To this day, many Egyptian protesters are still taking to the streets, despite the lacking media coverage to emphasize their cause. Despite attempts to stir up sectarian tensions amongst everyday citizens, Muslims and Christians together are presenting one voice, one united front: “We are the revolutionary youth. We are all Egyptians.” They have learned a valuable lesson; one that should be translated to protesters throughout the rest of the world. In order for the power of the people to triumph, it must be united. To allow attempts to divide individuals or groups, to plant the idea that one person is somehow more entitled than the next will only serve the very ruling elite people are rebelling against.

Now is the time for governments that were built for the people and by the people to listen to their citizens. To acknowledge their past mistakes. To accept that further dividing a country and its citizens will never succeed. If Egypt proved anything, it is that one voice alone cannot change anything, but a million voices united in a cause can give birth to a new country – to a new future.

As Alexander Solzhenitsyn once said “You only have power over people so long as you don’t take everything away from them. But when you’ve robbed a man of everything he’s no longer in your power – he’s free again.”

Where to Go - Harbour Restaurant

Last week K and I decided to go out for dinner. Originally we had planned to head to the "American Restaurant" on the Marina. Upon arrival however, we found it gutted from the inside out and evidently in the midst of renovations. So we improvised, and went to the restaurant right next door, Harbour Restaurant.

Located on the Hurghada New Marina, Harbour Restaurant offers great views of the surrounding area. The advantage to dining here is that we were able to bring Orien along for the night. There's something so nice about going out for dinner together, and Orien was so well behaved it made it all the better.

The prices at Harbour Restaurant are very fair, considering its location on the New Marina. Generally I will avoid eating at many places there, as the prices are usually extortionate. (Although in defense of the restaurants, they don't have a choice when they are being charged thousands of dollars in rent...) Our total bill ended up less than 40 $ for everything, making Harbour Restaurant an ideal place for a date night on a budget.

The menu is fairly diverse, offering a variety of pasta dishes, grilled chicken, steaks and seafood. K inquired about the Barbeque Chicken, specifically how it was grilled. He was told it's not done on a Barbeque...so I'm not quite sure how it can be marketed as such, but... yeah. It ended up being grilled chicken, and was quite tasty!

I ordered the Tomato Soup and Caesar Salad, and between the two of us we shared a Spaghetti Bolognese. As far as the quality of the food goes, well it left some things to be desired. My Tomato Soup was very watery, and I would not be surprised if it had come out of a packet. I had to add a great deal of salt and pepper to flavour it up, as it had very little taste to it. The Caesar Salad was smaller than what I had expected, and if you are looking to make a salad your main course, you'd better order two. The salad was also very rich, and was dripping in dressing on the bottom, making it quite a heavy 'light' meal. Next time I will be ordering the dressing on the side.

The Spaghetti Bolognese was tasty, but it wasn't anything unique. It was the a-typical Egyptian style Spaghetti Bolognese (read: seasoned with what was most likely cinnamon and a nutmeggy blend of spices - so it is slightly sweet). K quite enjoyed his chicken, which was garnished with quite a lot of rosemary that he ended up having to scrape off. Served with French Fries, the BBQ chicken is definitely satisfactory for a single person meal.

We arrived at the restaurant around 18:45. There was one other couple there alongside us. Despite being the only ones there, we waited almost 40 minutes for our food, making me wonder how long you would have to wait were the restaurant busy! Seeing as how we arrived at what should be dinner time, I was disappointed with the speed of the service. Our waiter was more than pleasurable, but again, the speed left much to be desired.

If you are looking for a family dinner out on a budget, Harbour Restaurant is a good place to go. I would rate the food a 7 out of 10, location was definitely a 10, and service a 5 out of 10. Overall, I would rate Harbour Restaurant a 6.5 out of 10.

Egypt Unbound on Traveler Voice

This blog was recently nominated for an award on Traveler Voice as one of the top Living Abroad blogs out there.

Although the blog did not win, it did garner special recognition, and for this I would like to thank you! Without your continued support of the blog I would not have been able to do it.

Here's hoping that the next time around, Egypt Unbound will be the winner in its category!

Butterscotch Brownies

I was requested that I post this recipe, which was a huge hit. Apparently it tastes very similar to an Egyptian style of cake, so K was more than enthused to have it with his morning Chai Bil Laban (Tea with Milk) for breakfast. As per usual, I found a recipe in the Joy of Cooking and made it my own!

So here's what you'll need: 

1 eight inch baking pan (lined with foil) 

1 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt 

1/2 cup butter (unsalted preferably)

2/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 egg yolk

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla essence 

1 tbsp white sugar mixed with 1/4 tsp water (original recipe called for 1 tbsp corn syrup, but that's something I cannot find here so I improvised)

Directions: 

Preheat your oven to 175 Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit).

Grease your foil-lined baking pan. This is very important, if you miss this step you'll end up peeling off foil from your brownies. Mmm...foil covered brownies.

Whisk together in a large bowl your flour, baking soda and powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a non-stick saucepan, melt your butter. Cook over a medium heat, stirring constantly, until the butter turns a golden brown colour (takes three to five minutes).

Remove from heat. Stir in brown and white sugar until well blended.

As the mixture cools, add in your egg, egg yolk, your sugar / water (or corn syrup) blend and vanilla.

Mix your wet ingredients into flour mixture.

Add to baking pan, and cook until top is golden brown and toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean, between 20-30 minutes.

 

Et. Voila! Bil Hana Wa Shiva! 

Top with cream, or serve with Ice Cream! 

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).

Where to Go - Planet Animal

Firstly, I apologize for the absence in posting in the past week. It has been a very long, and very stressful past few days for me. I hope to update on how and why in the coming period. Anyhow, moving on!

A few weeks back, I was asked by EgyPuppy, an up and coming company in Egypt, to review their shop. Well, last time I was in Cairo, I went in. The first thing you are met by are sales clerks sat at a computer with revolving monitors, presumably from which you can select your puppy that you plan to import.

They have supplies, but use the excuse that because most of the products are imported they can charge outrageous prices for them. (I saw one pack of Beggin Strips, on sale in the U.S. for under 2 $, marked at a price of close to 15 U.S. dollars. I mean come on, there's costs for importation...and then there's costs for importation. Echs). Needless to say, EgyPuppy, I'm sorry, I cannot recommend your location or services.

I realised that with all my postings on animal rights in Egypt, and where you shouldn't purchase your pet supplies from, I have neglected to suggest any locations that are decent!

To provide a contrast to EgyPuppy, let's look at Planet Animal in Hurghada.

Located on Maderis Street, the first thing that strikes you about Planet Animal is ... wait for it .... there are no animals for sale inside the shop! Three cheers!!

Planet Animal is run by two friends who have dedicated themselves to providing access to reliable and affordable dog toys, cat toys, the average medicine, and supplies.

Orien says "Treat Please!"

In the store you can find dog and cat food of various varieties and price ranges, including locally made Egyptian Kibble to imported Pedigree selections.

They have a good array of dog chew toys and rawhides, as well as cat toys and snacks.

Planet Animal offers dog leads, harnesses, and collars, in a host of materials including nylon and leather. They offer cat houses and the scratching posts.

If you're looking for worming or flea supplies, Planet Animal also has all of this on offer. You can choose from products imported from Germany (and still within a reasonable price range), or even request that a specific product you are looking for be shipped in.

For more information or to find out if Planet Animal has what you're looking for, call 011 211 344 51, or visit their location at 457 Maderis Street. Tell them Egypt Unbound sent you their way, and get a 10 % discount!