Woman This Month’s Farah Baig has an insightful chat with Bahrain Rescues’ Mojda Banahi about animal welfare and the way forward.
We’ve seen it happen before- a family gets excited, plans a celebration and decides the best way to mark the occasion is with a new puppy or kitten. While some of these situations might work out, more often than never, these decisions aren’t thought out and the little soul ends up being passed on from home to home and sometimes dumped on the streets. Situations like these has led to a growing stray population and often leaves these animals in a state of distress, fending for themselves in environments they are unfamiliar with.
However, all hope is not lost with proactive individuals like Mojda Banahi – an avid animal rescuer and the outspoken PR Manager of Bahrain Rescues.
“I have always loved animals and as every child who is fond of them dreamed of being able to help them when I became older. Although I did not intentionally seek out the task of becoming a rescuer, all the roads lead me down this path, it was really just one coincidence after another,” says Ms. Banahi, who has grown to be a ray of hope for the many voiceless animals in Bahrain.
Shining a Light on Bahrain Rescues
Bahrain Rescues, which was established by its chairwoman Eman Eid, is an animal rescue group focused on picking up critical cases and facilitating their recovery. “Eman started by feeding strays and moved on to picking up injured domestic pets that were dumped,” says Ms. Banahi.
These animals are left to fend for themselves, without having developed the instinct of strays for survival, and need to be rehabilitated before Bahrain Rescues can find them new homes. The group’s core mission is to rescue animals that are in immediate danger – animals that have been in car accidents, have broken limbs, are injured and abandoned on the streets. “We transport them to clinics to receive adequate treatment, and once they are relatively healthy, move them to our shelter to continue their treatment and put them up for adoption,” she explains.
Bahrain Rescues began as a simple Instagram account, in 2016, with a few hundred followers to help cover clinic bills to a large network of volunteers, clinics, and supporters that help run the shelter – a barren land which was developed from the ground up. “I have been fortunate enough to partner with someone as dedicated and strong as Eman to be able to turn a childhood fantasy into a reality and inspire the next generation to do what we have, and build on it once we’re too old to run around after 15 kg dogs and lug them to the vet,” she says.
“There is absolutely nothing a woman cannot perfect.”
Animal Welfare in the Kingdom
Although Bahrain has proper rules regarding animal welfare and treatment in place, she believes it would help a lot more to have a task force monitoring and penalising the sale of pets in the Kingdom. “The biggest issue is that people breed cats and dogs in their homes purely to make a profit. Ill-educated people will buy them and get bored or fake being so busy they can’t care of it; so, the animal will be passed on to 20 different places before ending up on the streets,” she says.
“This is usually done on social media and as long as one person buys an animal, the breeder will make sure to continue the vicious cycle to supply the demand,” she adds.
The Volunteers’ Role
To date, the group has been fortunate to have generous and supportive followers who not only help them in financing, but also pay a very crucial role in spreading awareness. “They educate people on the overpopulation of pets caused by puppy mills and backyard breeding, and the responsibility that comes with considering owning a pet,” she says.
The most efficient way through which the public can make an impact on animal welfare in the Kingdom is to educate everyone they can. “Education is a huge part of our work and to have our followers take that burden off us is a beautiful thing because we know there are people who do the background rescuing that we can’t reach. Overall, we are so grateful for all the support we have because without it we would have never come this far along and have one success story after another,” she says.
“If you can’t adopt, donate. If you can’t donate, educate. You can be an everyday hero!”
Changing the Mentality
“Our society still has a long way to go in terms of how they view a pet,” she says with conviction. “Although religion and common sense is perfectly clear on how we must treat animals with dignity and mercy, people still see them as a means of entertainment to be discarded or passed on once it becomes an inconvenience,” she says.
“A pet is a lifetime responsibility. People need to understand that just because you can afford to buy it does not mean your expenses end there,” she adds, stressing that a pet either becomes a household member or be left for someone willing to commit to it.
Making an Impact
When asked is she has advice for women in Bahrain who are hoping to make an impact on their community, she says, “There will always be people who work hard against you, dislike you and discredit you. This should be the fuel to whatever you are passionate about.
Nothing worth having comes easy and there will always be days when you want to throw in the towel and just let everything go, those are the turning points you will look back on that helped you level up your game,”
What’s Next
I am focusing on restarting my career now that the wheels of the Bahrain Rescues machine are in motion, Ms. Banahi is focusing on restarting her career. “Although the current climate is not promising, hopefully I can make my way back into the corporate world,’ she says.
