Our aim is to raise public awareness about animal welfare in Egypt. We work with the media at every opportunity in order to reach a wider audience. TV is very popular in Egypt with every family owning one - very few people read. Our dream is to make a documentary film about how cruel modern day Egyptians are to animals and to compare this with the treatment of animals during ancient times (Pharaonic civilization) 5ooo years ago when animals were gods and Egypt was one of the most civilized countries in the world.

We aim to cooperate with the General Organisations of Veterinary Services and convince them that poisoning stray animals is an inhumane solution for controling the stray dog population. We also aim to close circuses, petshops and the ever increasing number of private zoos. In the future we intend to publish a monthly magazine about animals to educate pet owners and teach them how to care for their pets.

We work continuously to convince Eyptians that compassion to animals is not a luxury, it's a must and, as Ghandi said, "you can judge a nation's morality by the way they treat their animals". We aim to save as many animals as we can from cruelty and have already rescued hundreds and found wonderful homes for them. We also hope to buy the land where the SPARE sanctuary is located to enable it to continue to be a paradise for animals long into the future.

My life's dream is to help the animals, especially the very abused ones of Egypt. The problem is that neither the concept nor the culture of ANIMAL WELFARE exists in Egypt. It will be hard work, but I promise you that I will do everything within my power to make World Animal Day noticed in Egypt. Amina Abaza.

I am the founder and president of SPARE which was created with the help and support of my husband, Raouf  Mishriki, after we decided to take action to try to stop the atrocities inflicted upon animals in our country.

The Egyptian government is controlling the dog population with Strichnine poison and is killing thousands of dogs throughout the country. Amazingly it is the State Veterinary Department that is responsible for this. The Ministry of Interior also has a special department to shoot stray dogs but they often shoot and only wound the dogs leaving them in the street to die in agony which can take 2 or 3 days. Sometimes a dog might survive but lose the use of a leg or an eye - depending upon where they've been shot. This is how the dogs and cats are treated in Egypt! Even children are drowning puppies and kittens as if it's a national pastime! Most of the dogs rescued in our shelter were drowned and then rescued at the last moment - but for many we were too late!

Any tourist can tell you about the way our donkeys and horses are treated. Most are owned by poor people who treat them cruelly due to ignorance and it is almost impossible to find a healthy equine working in the streets of our country. Most of them are maimed, sick and injured.

Here is a brief description of our activities:

1. We take in any abused or injured cat or dog and donkeys and horses are taken to the farm where I live.
2. We spay/neuter, vaccinate and microchip all dogs and cats that are brought into our shelter and operate a spay, neuter and release programme for strays. Strays that are collected in the streets of Cairo remain at our shelter ready for adoption as the city is unsafe for animals.
3. Currently, we have 85 dogs, 40  cats and 14 donkeys. Our shelter has 53 kennels and so far this year (Jan - Aug 08) we have received 93 dogs and 36 cats. Half of them were sent to Germany, Holland and France for adoption where we found them new loving homes.
4. We treat all equines in our area free of charge enabling poor peasants and farmers to get treatment for their working animals. We treat 10 to 30 cases each day.
5. We have printed a booklet about animal welfare in Islam and distribute this book free of charge in the hope that, through religion, we can convince people to be more compassionate to animals.
6. SPARE has the only donkey Sanctuary in Egypt and it's currently home to 16 happy donkeys.
7. SPARE works in cooperation with the organisation Animals Australia to improve conditions in slaughterhouses. Our campaigning has already resulted in the building of a new modern slaughterhouse that drew both local and international media coverage.
8. Educating children in schools, at our facility and at Cairo zoo where we meet hundreds of Egyptian families. Education is one of SPARE's priorities.