The financial crisis in Lebanon is sparing no one, not even stray dogs who were given a second chance at life when Anthony Abihanna took them in.
Abihanna is a true unsung hero dedicating his life to sheltering strays and caring for hurt dogs in Lebanon.
He has taken in and tended to over 100 mistreated dogs, some of whom were abandoned during the onset of the pandemic.
However, like nearly everything in the country, his personal heartfelt initiative is being affected by the financial crisis, threatening the safe haven he’s created.
In May 2020, Abihanna told The961 of his struggles to feed and care for the dogs. Now, those struggles have only become more difficult.
We reached out to him again and learned that he is losing sleep worrying about how to provide for them. His most recent status on Facebook read:
Translation: “3:43 no sleep same worry feeding my dogs”
This was his status a week before that:
As prices of goods in Lebanon skyrocket, due to the dropping value of the Lebanese pound, so does the cost of dog food.
Before the crisis, Abihanna used to buy a bag of dog food for 30,000 LBP ($20). Today, that price is only a fraction of what a bag of dog food costs because of the Lira exchange rate.
Not only has it been challenging to provide food for the pups, finding and affording medicine and treatment hasn’t been a walk in the park.
“Even if I have to sell my kidney nothing will stop me from protecting and feeding my babies,” he told us.
“I never lose hope because, if I do, over 100 dogs will be miserable. I owe them that.”
If you are in a place where you can make a difference, you can reach Abihanna through Facebook or to his number +961 70 984 797 to find out how you can help.