Anna Hayley Desouza, a 16-year-old Qatar resident has rehomed more than 80 strays in a year
A 16-year-old Qatar resident who has so far rehomed more than 80 stray animals for a year now is seeking the support of local community members to further her cause.
“Being an independent rescuer is not easy as so many lives depend on me directly and without much support it can be quite difficult and truly exhausting to fund their daily needs and medical requirements," Anna Hayley Desouza, who has rehomed more than 80 stray animals, told Gulf Times.
"I love what I do but it is definitely a lot of hard work, commitment, and unpredictability," she explained. Adopting a rescued fur baby reduces the stray animal population and also gives “a second chance of life to the animal in need.”
Desouza, who managed to rehome two dogs in Seattle and currently working on rehoming five cats to the UK, noted that all her rescued animals are either in foster homes or boarded in veterinary clinics until they can be rehomed permanently.
She stressed that such process of rehoming animals, which includes completing all medical requirements before they can be flown to their new homes abroad, is a very expensive and tedious process “but definitely worth it.” “It costs QR2,500 per cat as they can travel to the UK only as manifested cargo and not as accompanied baggage.”
“I rely completely on the local community to keep my rescue services running, I have two colonies in Doha which I regularly feed and I also TNR (trap-neuter-rehome/release) all the strays in them.
“Unfortunately I can’t do what I do alone with no support, with so many pending bills at various vet clinics and having to feed and take care of so many, it definitely takes a village to rescue one animal which is why being an independent rescuer is so hard,” she said, as she thanked all supporters who have already helped her cause or by fostering or adopting a rescued animal.
Desouza, who can be reached via her Instagram page @furrypawsrescue, said she hopes to find someone who is travelling to Canada in early August and willing to help get two dogs to their forever homes abroad.
“Lastly, I ask the community in Qatar to extend their support via coming forward to help by adopting, fostering, or donating to a worthy cause,” she said.
Desouza has been living with her father and mother in Doha since 2011 and currently preparing for her International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) examinations, scheduled in January 2022. Her goal is to become a veterinary surgeon.
