A shocking story of survival and resilience emerged from the country of Ghobeiry, Lebanon, where a dog, now known as Survivor, was left as the only dog left after a horrific attack on his pack. The lone pup found himself alone, after a group of men, allegedly working for the municipality, unleashed a lethal poison on the neighborhood’s stray dogs.
In a disturbing sequence captured on video, these men callously dispensed poisoned food on the unsuspecting canine community. Maggie Shaarawi, vice president of Animals Lebanon, described the heart-wrenching scene, recalling how the dogs, once friendly and trusting, ate the deadly bait and were left to die on the ground.
“The most heartbreaking scene is when one of the dogs approaches the men, almost asking for mercy for his friends who are dying,” Shaarawi said. “The man didn’t stop there or feel any mercy toward that friendly dog — instead he put food on the end of the stick mixed with poison and shoved it in his mouth.”
A shelter employee worked hard to get Survivor to trust that they were there to take care of him, and that he was safe. Photo courtesy of Animals Lebanon
What is worse, she said, is this all happened just months after Lebanon’s president, Michel Aoun, enacted legislation aimed at safeguarding animal welfare, sparking outrage and condemnation from advocates across the country. Even President Aoun himself expressed disgust at the incident, denouncing the treatment of the stray dogs.
But hidden in the tragedy was a glimmer of hope emerged in the form of Survivor, the only dog who evaded the deadly trap by hiding in some nearby bushes. Despite his initial fear and distrust of humans, Survivor’s fate took a hopeful turn when volunteers from Animals Lebanon intervened.
“He was very scared, and he had his tail between his legs,” Shaarawi said. “He kept running away. But Kamal, one of our volunteers on the ground, is known for his persistence. He kept following him until finally he was cornered.”
Once rescued, Survivor embarked on a journey of healing and transformation under the care of devoted volunteers. Gradually, his fear gave way to trust, and his once-shy demeanor blossomed into one of confidence and joy. “He is an adorable dog — smart and gentle,” Shaarawi said. ”
Every time I go to see him, he is almost dancing from happiness. His whole body is shaking right and left.”
After working with Survivor and helping him heal from traumatic experience he went through, he was transferred to an animal shelter in Boston, Mass., where he was immediately adopted. In a message to Animal Lebanon, the new owner couldn’t hide how thrilled they were with their new family member.
It took time and patience to get Survivor to trust that food was safe for him to eat. Photo courtesy of Animals Lebanon.
“I am the extremely lucky dog lover who has adopted Survivor. I fell in love with Survivor the moment I read about him and it was reinforced when I laid eyes on him for the first time. I know he felt a connection to me as well. You guys did an amazing job working with him and helping him to trust people again and now he is a permanent part of my family.” said Survivor’s owner, who wished to remain anonymous.
I brought him home yesterday where he settled in immediately,” said Survivor’s new owner.
For Animals Lebanon, they have no plans to back down from what is happening to dogs in their area. In a statement on Facebook, they said, “From being a laughable issue ten years ago to now being seriously discussed by the public, media, and highest levels of government is amazing. This change is a reason for hope, a reason to believe things will get better, and a reason to keep fighting to make that happen.” The organization said they have taken legal action.
But through all of this, Shaarawi said, a resilient dog was given a chance to survive and thrive after living through such a horrible attack. And now, she said, he is getting his happy ending and it’s everything he should get. “He deserves a nice family.” Watch below to see Animals Lebanon explain a bit more about what they do.
