Mohammad Alaa Ajaleel, also known as ‘the cat man of Aleppo’, takes in hundreds of stray and abandoned cats off the dangerous streets of Syria.
The city of Aleppo, Syria, has been a dangerous war zone for over four years, with tens of thousands of people fleeing to save their lives.
But, unfortunately, this means lots of once-loved pets have been left behind.
Previously working as an electrician, Mohammad now drives ambulances, rescuing people in need across the city. He also has created a sanctuary for cats called ‘Il Gattaro d’Aleppo’.
He told BBC News: “When people left, the cats started coming to me… Some people just left them with me knowing that I love cats.”
“One time a little girl brought me a cat. Her parents wanted to go abroad.
“The girl had brought the cat up since she was a kitten.
“She cried as she handed her over to me and they left the country.”
Recently, he found a stray dog named Amira and started looking after her – to ensure she was comfortable, he built a separate house for her next to the sanctuary.
Amira was pregnant but, sadly, all her pups were stillborn.
Alessandra Abidin, a volunteer at the sanctuary, told Love Meow: “We were sad and shocked.
“We gave her a stuffed teddy bear and tried to cuddle with her because she was very sad.”
A kitten named Junior took notice of the heartbroken dog and her teddy bear, approaching slowly for some cuddles. The rest is history!
Junior and Amira turned into the best of friends, becoming inseparable.
Alessandra said: “We found them playing together, and the kitten climbed on her back, and (Amira) was completely fine and even seemed to be smiling,”
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