When asked about the types of people who go to heaven and hell, the Prophet Mohammed [PBUH] told his disciples the story of a woman who entered hell because she imprisoned and starved a cat and a man who earned a ticket to paradise when he filled his shoe with water from a well for a thirsty dog to drink. It is a wonder then that Egypt's streets are so laden with unwanted and mistreated cats and dogs.
Thousands of stray dogs and cats are born on the streets of Egypt daily with no hope for shelter and with the constant risk of being run over by a car or at the hands of cruel people. The very unlucky ones are picked up for animal testing. In all cases, their cries for help are often ignored.
If you love animals, adopting a stray will really make a difference. Enter PETA, who filmed a Middle Eastern ad last month called “Earn Your Wings: Adopt a Stray.” The campaign ad, which starred actress Phaedra Al-Masri, was shot by leading fashion photographer Hatem Salem and directed by Amr Alim, seeks to promote the adoption of stray animals in the region.
This is the first Middle Eastern ad that PETA, which is the largest animal rights organization in the world, has put together. The campaign features a clad in white Al-Marsi fit with two angel wings with two street dogs that she had actually saved from living on the streets. "At this time, we all need to be thinking about compassion. Everyone can help stray animals by treating him or her kindly. If you see someone abusing a stray, speak out, and if you see an animal in distress, call a local animal welfare group for help," she says in the ad. "I hope people will also adopt from shelters or rescue animals from the street. For every puppy or kitten born, another one is cruelly shot or poisoned."
Cairo currently plays home to at least four shelters that take in abused stray animals who are waiting for adoption, but they are often overlooked in favor of overly priced international breeds. The ad attempts to show that with every purchased animal, a stray continues to live on the streets with his or her chance of dying of hunger or disease increasing every day. For more information visit PETA's website.
Animal shelters around Cairo and Giza:
https://www.facebook.com/esma.egypt"https://www.facebook.com/esmaegypt
https://www.facebook.com/groups/4204682654/"https://www.facebook.com/groups/4204682654/
https://www.facebook.com/esaf.egypt"https://www.facebook.com/esaf.egypt
https://www.facebook.com/groups/59040036444/"https://www.facebook.com/groups/59040036444/
Animal shelters around Alexandria:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/198423690210/"https://www.facebook.com/groups/198423690210/
