Cieco: A blind dog’s journey from Nabatieh to Beirut, fleeing Israeli bombs

As the sun set in Baabda, Lebanon, Cieco was soaking up a cool shower between pine trees.

His auburn and caramel coat gleamed through as the soapy water washed off, and Barbara, content, toweled him and led him to the Alyarz Leisure Club dog shelter.

The date was September 27, and they were in Baabda, about 10km (6 miles) from Beirut.

Just as the Alyarz Pet Club (APC) volunteer released the Dutch Shepherd-Plott Hound from his leash, loud explosions echoed.

Israel had dropped 80 bombs on Dahiyeh, the suburb south of Beirut, a 15-minute drive from the shelter.

However, Cieco, who was deaf and blind, could only sense the danger that was looming beyond his control.

after being shot in the face

Cieco (meaning “blind” in Italian and pronounced “Cheyko”) had just gotten to the APC two days earlier, on September 25, evacuated from the Mashala animal shelter in Nabatieh, on the southern border between Lebanon and Israel.

Houssein Hamza, the owner of Mashala, took him there after receiving a call telling him a dog had been found and shot in the face, and he had been living there for two years.

Multiple pellets – their origins unknown – remain lodged in Cieco’s face and skull.

Cieco was given by the team when he arrived at the APC in Baabda because Hamza did not name the injured dog who had come to his shelter two years ago and was concentrating on getting him back to health.

Hamza began to worry about the shelter’s most vulnerable animals as Israel’s attacks on Lebanon grew more and more intense last month, and he began to plan to take them out.

The Lebanese public responded politely by posting a video on social media appealing for people to adopt or care for a blind dog and cat.

Difficulty people reached out in the hours that followed, and a Sidon taxi driver delivered the blind cat and dog to Beirut a few days later.

Due to intense traffic and frightened southbound travelers, the 90-minute journey lasted for hours, which was made worse by Israeli bombing that was never stopped along some routes.

How much of it Cieco felt is a mystery.

He needed some time to adjust to the shelter’s lifestyle and be gradually introduced to other dogs and his surroundings when he arrived.

“He initially struggled with the smells around him until he was used to them. He was extremely scared, not understanding who we are or where he is”, Razanne Khatib, the founder of APC, explained.

“He would barely sleep. And if he did, he would sleep while standing.

He now trusts his surroundings more, we later introduced him to the other dogs.

“We need animals to be saved,” says the statement.

As a result of the nearly one million people who have eluded the south in the last few weeks, Hamza has never thought about ejecting himself.

Leaving the shelter and animals behind is not an option, he said.

” For society to thrive, we need people to save humans, but also people to save animals. And another part to help the environment. If you only think you can help the humans and not other beings, you disrupt society, and the environment. “

Over the past 18 years, he has tended to dogs, cats, and chickens, relying on the goodwill of people and private donors to provide food and shelter for the animals and compensation for his helpers.

Initially, he took in pets only from his village. But he slowly expanded, unable to turn an animal away until his shelter, equipped to host 150 animals. Now, has some 300 dogs, 50 cats and other animals.

Now residing in Kfour, a bit further from the border, Hamza has adopted a new daily routine as Israel’s attacks increased in recent weeks.

He now ensures there is enough food to last the animals a few days in case he can’t return right away, despite once checking on the animals every day. However, the more dangerous roads have made the drives less frequent.

Hamza coordinates with shelters across the country to transport as many animals as possible into safer environments, checks on abandoned animals in deserted villages, and feeds any strays.

” At home, I take care of my chickens, cats, and birds, feeding them before heading to the shelter, “he said.

” First thing, I feed and water the animals, then]I do a] round of the area. I check on the abandoned dogs and the animals in the village, and occasionally people tell me about dogs that are scared of the planes and explosions.

Hamza finds himself getting busier by the day because the situation in Nabatieh hasn’t improved. However, he receives regular updates from the rescuers who removed the animals.

Sandra Mouawad, the founder of the Paws Crossed Lebanon shelter in Beirut, took in the blind cat, who was named Fossa, while APC took the dog they later named Cieco.

My destiny is in the hands of Jesus.

Some dogs at the facility started barking and growling as a result of the onslaught that resulted in the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah two days after Cieco arrived in Baabda, while others huddled in their enclosures fearing the chaos.

Cieco barely moved, although he was probably shaken by the vibrations.

The residents of Dahiyeh were a nightmare the night before, as a result of Israel’s demand to evacuate specific areas before bombing them throughout the night.

Families with children, the elderly, and animals were forced to sleep on the streets.

Lebanon’s most vulnerable communities, already weakened by the multitude of crises over the past few years, were left even more helpless.

And animals were not spared. Animals were captured on camera by the APC on October 4th, frightened by Israeli explosions that erupted in the background.

But shelters across Lebanon, as well as Hamza, are defiant, saying that now is the time to step up, and not back down.

” The more you love something, the more that love grows over time, “Hamza explained, referring to his love for the animals he cares for.

” My conscience didn’t allow me to leave them behind, even though my family had all left. If I didn’t love these animals as much as I do, I wouldn’t still be here.

“But I love them, and I trust in God – my fate is in His hands”.

Source: Aljazeera