Dec 22, 2021

The Angel of Beit Sahour: The story of Diana George Babish and the Dogs She has Saved

 The Angel of Beit Sahour

Diana Babish and one of the beautiful dogs she has saved.


Please consider Diana and her dog shelter in your holiday giving.......


Or just get the word out about her rescue.


I would like to tell everyone about Diana George Babish.



She has worked tirelessly to save the dogs and cats of The West Bank.

After watching endless dogs suffering without any healthcare or refuge she started her animal shelter in Beit Sahour, about 5 minutes outside of Bethlehem in the territory of Palestine.

It is the only animal shelter in the area.

Diana works day and night to retrieve dogs and cats from the streets who have been mistreated or suffered injuries from cars without any hope of care after they have suffered an injury.

Diana Babish built the Animal and Environment Association--Bethlehem Palestine and takes care of these beautiful animals.

She provides healthcare and nutrition and provides spay and neutering and training so they are available for adoption and finding a forever home.

As everyone can imagine she is faced with giant challenges.  It is not just an issue of funding but they are not only isolated physically but politically, as well.

Here is the good news.

Diana has established an environment where this organization functions on both sides of the political aisle with volunteers from the Palestinian community as well as the Jewish community in Israel.

She also provides education to schools in order to create a mentality of working with animals and people together.  She educates children about the proper treatment of animals.

Visiting Diana it is easy to see that her generosity not only concerns the animals but it extends to people in need of food and financial assistance in the area.  When Diana helped a neighbor in need of assistance at the Palestinian Wildlife Society the director said "We are all one."

She is located right next door to the Palestine Wildlife Society that works to help farmers with education and healthcare to their donkeys and goats and other livestock so the wildlife and livestock are living in a way that is better for everyone involved.

Wanted to share a video recently made about Diana's organization:

https://fb.watch/9-hrgJgrwC/

Here is her Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/Bethlehemshelter

The website page:

https://www.bethlehemshelter.org/



Would you please accept this wonderful lady in your thoughts, not just for funding which is desperately needed, but also to get the word out so others can see these dogs and cats have been saved and they are in need of a home.  These animals are facing the challenge of distance and politics but they are ready to go.  They have had healthcare, nutrition, training, socialization, spay and neutering along with crates and papers.  

Diana has worked so hard and I want to tell the world about it.

Thank you for your time and thank you for reading.

Here she is described in The Times of Israel:

https://www.timesofisrael.com/ex-palestinian-bankers-dogged-west-bank-animal-shelter-fights-for-its-life/



Here is a nice article about her in Green Prophet.  This provides an insight into her work and the environmental conditions she contends with on a daily basis.

https://www.greenprophet.com/2021/02/bethlehems-patron-saint-of-puppies/

Diana Babish also works with local officials to establish rules and laws for the welfare of animals.  She has worked with the local law enforcement so people who have mistreated animals will be brought to justice and she has worked to establish laws so people will be deterred from mistreating animals.


Best wishes and thank you for your consideration.

Sharon McDowell

Seattle, Washington  98119


Please see her actual website page because there she gives a more in depth explanation of her work and it is described in a more eloquent way than my ability allows.  The first video is also very good and an informational overview.

How did I get started with this.  Went to the area with Bike Palestine.  Always last in the bike group one could not help but notice all of the dogs hanging around in the middle of nowhere.  I could not believe it.  Did a little research and found Diana and visited her on my next trip.  She graciously met with me and I could never get her out of my mind.  It is so frustrating....she works so hard and it is so difficult to find homes for these dogs and cats she has saved.  I could never get her or the dogs out of my mind.  My thought was just let me try to do one good thing and help this lady.  I could never do this.  Thank you for your time. Sherry





The dogs and cats of The Middle East have had a difficult time surviving and particularly in The West Bank where they are isolated physically and politically.  

The people are suffering and the animals are suffering even more as folks do not really have the time or energy when they are in need of so many things themselves.  

Certain areas of The Middle East have not always provided the cultural support for the well-being of dogs and cats and livestock.  

Diana George Babish has established The Bethlehem Shelter to take care of injured and abandoned animals.  

The thing is she helps people in need, as well.  

I witnessed this myself, when she was providing financial assistance for a neighbor to buy food and doing this on a regular basis.  

There are no animal shelters or humane societies in The West Bank to take care of animals or spay or neuter them and often they are abused as pests.  

Diana has not only started the Bethlehem Shelter to help the injured animals but she also spends a lot of time teaching children how to care for dogs and cats and donkeys and how to respect them.  She goes to schools  regularly to educate the kids on the care of animals and the importance of their welfare. 

One of the best things about Diana is that she has created a way for Palestinians and Israelis to work together to help the animals.  In a grassroots way there are plenty of people from Israel and Palestine that work together to provide homes for the animals.  The animals are a larger focus for these folks than the political strife.  

She is bringing the world together to help the dogs and cats and the people of the area.  

She has also worked with many public officials and lawmakers to create a system where folks who might abuse animals are facing justice for their actions.  

She is working not only to educate but to make it illegal to hurt dogs and cats and donkeys.  

Some people there think it is okay to harm animals and to view them as pests.  

She is working hard to change this mind set and she recently worked with the local government in Ramallah to bring forward some individuals who did not have this mindset.

Take a moment to check out her website.  There are plenty of easy and quick ways to make a donation.

Any suggestions for sharing are welcomed.



Posted by at
Labels: ,

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)