In a country at war, where needs and priorities are hardly met, animals are often forgotten and abandoned. STAR, the Syrian Team for Animal Rescue, is a group of devoted volunteers, working under very hard conditions to rescue and take care of injured stray and abandoned cats and dogs. For years STAR has been the voice of the voiceless, giving animals suffering from war injuries and abuse a second chance. Until the moment, STAR has rescued more than 1000 animals. STAR shelter, located in a safe suburb near the capital, is now hosting around 600 cats and dogs. In a cruel and abusive environment, the shelter is the only safe place for those animals until they find their forever homes.

STAR has been relying for years on crowd funding, the team has no other means or resources to raise funds necessary to fulfill their responsibilities toward animals. The team has recently registered an official organisation in Syria, but due to sanctions, and the huge needs and urgency, they are facing huge funding challenges, with so many animal suffering and dying on the streets from bullet wounds, poison, abuse and animal cruelty.

STAR shelter costs the team around 6000 dollars per month. That is divided into food, medication, vaccination, sterilizing, surgeries, rental and other operational expenses.

STAR shelter was built on an empty land, which is why it still needs a lot of improvements. Dogs need a playground so that they stay fit and healthy. Roofs need isolation as they are made out of second-hand materials. Animals with special needs need special safe rooms with tiled floors that are easy to clean. STAR has achieved a lot in the past years. But there is still more to be done. More importantly, this place is not taken for granted. STAR needs ongoing donations to stay available for animals in need. So please, donate, share, and follow our stories. No donation is too small.. No help is too little.

Love and gratitude from STAR

References:

STAR Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/syrianteamanimalrescue

STAR in the press:

https://www.yahoo.com/news/shelter-lends-helpin...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-3926280/Shelter-lends-helping-paw-animal-victims-Syria-war.html

http://www.onegreenplanet.org/news/shelter-is-helping-treat-animals-in-war-torn-syria/

https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews/videos/1766146866737765/

http://www.bbc.com/arabic/media-41770938