Iraqi couple shares home with stray animals in need

By Dilsad Seyfeddin Ahmed

SULAYMANIYAH, Iraq (AA) - Sirvan Abdullah and Firishte Necat have devoted their lives to caring for stray cats and dogs in Iraq's northeastern Sulaymaniyah province.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency on Friday, the couple said that they give priority to animals that have been injured, taking them into their home and providing them with food and medical care.

They have been doing this for the past ten years, providing stray cats and dogs with a safe place to stay.

“Helping stray animals is deeply gratifying. Like human beings, they too need food, water and shelter,” Abdullah said.

“First we care for the injured cats and dogs after bringing them home,” he said. “Then we try to find people interested in adopting them.”

According to Abdullah, the pair has hosted at least 300 stray dogs and cats since they began the practice a decade ago.

Necat, for her part, said that taking care of stray animals was a “challenging but highly enjoyable task”.

She nevertheless went on to urge NGOs devoted to animal welfare to “please give us a hand”.