Epress.am News from Armenia
Hostomel shelter hosts over 600 cats and dogs, most of them rescued from the war zone. The shelter’s aim is to treat them and get them adopted, to have room to accept more animals needing help. Cats are more often adopted than dogs. Most dogs are to stay here till the end. Only purebred dogs or small-sized dogs get a chance to find a home.
Some come to take purebred dogs to breed them and sell puppies. They abstain from adopting when they learn the shelter’s policy is to sterilize dogs right upon admission.
The shelter needs constant support for food and medicine. “We have some 40 older dogs. They are maintained on antidepressants. A pill of gabapentin will knock out a human; we have a dog who needs two of those daily. They panic when they hear shelling. They attack each other. We even had cases of epilepsy,” says the veterinarian of the shelter.
Rescued dogs react to air-raid alarms, bombing, and even to loud hail and thunderstorms. When they get frightened, they start digging holes in the ground or become bewildered.
The shelter accepts donations. The staff publish regular, transparent reports on social media. They welcome calls and any inquiries from people who want to help. Their mission is to be able to accept more animals in need.
“Helping animals is a requisite of social upbringing. It’s a manifestation of our human nature, of our being mature and trustworthy. Animals are so good at loving. We need to learn from them. I’ve come to see many deaths here. They die with dignity. They don’t whine. They accept death and stay as they are till the very end,” says the founder of the shelter.
The video reportage featuring Hostomel’s shelter and its tenants is below.