Lebanese Expat Pet Programme’, an initiative by Beirut for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (BETA), seeks families abroad to adopt rescued animals.

The campaign seeks to raise awareness about the fact that as a result of low adoption rates in Lebanon, the organisation has had to resort to sending Lebanese dogs abroad for adoption. JWT Beirut is the agency behind it.

“Our shelters are full. Many of the dogs we have rescued have permanent injuries due to abuse and many are fully-grown dogs not puppies. These two factors make them less likely to be adopted in Lebanon. In addition, we have a no kill policy. It is not an option to euthanise our animals if we cannot find them homes. As a result, we have had to look abroad for adoptive families due to very low adoption rates in Lebanon,” said Helena Husseini, vice president, BETA.

Campaign website xpatpets.com allows users to browse through profiles of the dogs BETA has rescued. Visitors can then choose to keep the dog in Lebanon or give it an opportunity abroad. For those who want to help but cannot house a dog, the website also enables viewers to donate to BETA’s programmes.

“We hope this campaign will encourage Lebanese people to adopt locally by raising awareness, or if not, that we will find good families abroad,” said Husseini.

The campaign has captured the attention of local media. A Lebanese comedian and show host Adel Karam touched on the issue, interweaving it with a political satire in the video below:

It features footage of a political figure addressing a live audience, stating that he cannot live in Lebanon and refuses all the processes being implemented. The comedian, on his show, interjects that if the political figure feels that way, maybe they should all leave together. He goes on to add: “Not only do you hate having a life in Lebanon, even our dogs are emigrating.” Pictures of the dogs leaving the airport follow.