When an explosion rocked the port of Lebanon in August, our partners BETA (Beirut for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) never hesitated to help the animals who were affected by this. Whether they were left behind, lost, injured, or abandoned, BETA did everything in their power to save as many as they could and take them in at their already overflowing shelter.

RAD was compelled to step in and help our partners and sent two of our team members to do their part and on three separate trips, we brought home 33 dogs to their new forever homes in Canada. Check out Kaite's take on her 3-week stay in Lebanon. For Rob’s interview, check it out here

What were your first impressions when you first arrived in Lebanon?

I arrived at BETA excited for the opportunity to be involved with such an amazing organization, and to be able to bring some of the 900 dogs living there home to Canada with us. When we pulled into the shelter on our first day, about 20 or so dogs crowded around the car to say hello, and I was struck not only with how friendly and excited they all were to see us, but also that everyone from BETA knew their names and could tell us all about each one. It’s one thing to just house and feed animals, but it was quickly obvious that everyone on the team cared for each dog and was committed to giving them all a better life.

Tell us about your typical day.

A typical day at BETA started around 9am when we would head over to the new shelter and check on the progress the construction crew had made, as well as visit with Bobo and Cesar the monkeys, Kika the donkey, and the 3 rescue horses living there. We would then head over to the old shelter to see the 900 dogs and the rest of the team, which is where our day really began. There was always something to do at BETA, from playing with the dogs and giving them love and affection to helping them socialize, to things like wound care and minor first aid. I’ve dealt with all sorts of injuries from my time working with horses, so I was happy to help clean eyes, wash out cuts and scrapes, and anything else that needed to be done but I would always start my rounds with Silly, an older dog who had been there her whole life. A typical day also meant vet trips, either from new dogs arriving at the shelter, vetting the dogs going to Canada, or looking after the dogs already at BETA.

Tell us about your best moment in Lebanon?

Of all the amazing experiences from the trip, from seeing a puppy rescued from the port be adopted into an incredible home, to getting to meet the monkeys and horses at the new shelter, some of the best moments were in getting to know the dogs and seeing their personalities come out. There was a pitbull named Penn who was covered in scars and upon the first impression looked pretty intimidating, but once you got to know him, would happily follow you around the shelter and loved nothing more than chasing after tennis balls. There was another dog named Deuce who had a cropped tail and ears and would keep her distance at first, but who soon turned out to love belly rubs and sitting on your feet. Getting to know all the dogs at the shelter was incredibly gratifying and something that I will never forget.

What about the moment that marked you the most?

Easily one of the hardest moments happened at the vet. A volunteer brought a puppy who had been shot in the back, and when they laid the puppy out on the exam table it was obvious that he was completely paralyzed. The puppy wasn’t in any pain, but it was impossible for him to be brought back to the shelter as there was nowhere for him to go and there were no funds for a wheelchair. The volunteer agreed to bring him back with her until a foster or adopter was found, but with the adoption rate for healthy dogs in Lebanon already so low, we all knew that this was extremely unlikely to occur now that he was paralyzed. The idea of shooting a puppy was already so heinous, and knowing that this senseless act had likely cost this animal his life was heartbreaking. The sad look in his eyes as he was being handled by the vets stuck with me as he was so helpless and had already been treated so cruelly in his short life. Personally, this is one of the most difficult parts of dog rescue, the senselessness of the acts against these animals and just how unfair their repercussions can be.

Someone told us you may have fallen in love while in Lebanon. Tell us about it

My third day at BETA was when I met Keegan, a shy dog with two different colored eyes who spent his days hanging out in a turtle pool at the front of the shelter. He never left his covered area to play with the ball or the other dogs, so part of my days were spent with him making sure he got some attention as well. Although he seemed so shut down he was still just the sweetest dog, and from the moment I saw him I fell in love. Of the 900 dogs there he stole my heart and I knew this was my dog. Keegan ended up coming back to Canada on our third RAD trip, and meeting him at the airport was a moment I’ll never forget. Knowing that he had finally found his forever home after more than three years at the shelter and that I was lucky enough to give it to him made me that much more grateful for the work RAD and BETA do and something I will always be thankful for.

Would you consider going back to Lebanon?

I would go back to Lebanon in a heartbeat! The BETA team are some of the most selfless and caring people I’ve ever met, and the work they do to advocate for and rescue animals is incomparable. I was lucky enough to be able to stay in Lebanon for almost three weeks, and the only thing I would change the next time is I would stay longer!

Kaite talks about her experience on the Lebanon Mission