 Centre for Animal Lovers (VAFA), Karaj, Iran
In 2003, Fatemah Motamedi decided to pursue her dream to establish Iran's First Animal Shelter and Animal Welfare NGO. With the help and support of other animal advocates they began their work.
Mr S Salehi, Mrs Motamedi's husband, very kindly donated land, about 1 hours drive from Tehran (Iran's capital and largest city), upon which the shelter was gradually constructed with completion in mid-2004. In the beginning, the lack of facilities and budget
caused a variety of serious problems. The two greatest problems were the lack of water supply due to the shelter standing on a hill and electricity. Nonetheless, the group's sincere efforts and eagerness meant that eventually all the obstacles were overcome.
 As a result, gradually the shelter became more organized and ultimately
everything found its proper place.
The most significant improvements made in this shelter include: supplying
water and electricity, the establishment of a veterinary clinic, the construction of individual kennels including a quarantine unit for new arrivals to test them for disease and temperament, and finding regular resources for food supply and the
ground.
The Director and Manager of the shelter is Mrs Lida Esnaashari who knows each dog by name. Most VAFA residents are street dogs rescued by Good Samaritans. Others are abused, such as a big fluffy dog named Stevie, after the American singer Stevie Wonder. When Stevie was picked up in the middle of the street he was too weak to run, had mange and an injury on his head like he had been beaten. Back at the shelter, Dr Gholam Reza Abedi performed emergency surgery and saved Stevie’s life but not his sight. Despite the abuse, Stevie is a loving, friendly dog who wants to be hugged.
 Drs Abedi and Molookpour Hooman spayed and neutered 300 dogs and 100 cats in 2007
to help curb pet overpopulation.
In early 2009, the shelter was home to 250 dogs, all of which are sterilized, vaccinated, and housed in separate kennels. To adopt from VAFA, there is no charge although donations are always welcome. Potential owners are screened to make sure they will provide the pet with a loving, responsible home. VAFA has a small number of paid staff who care for the dogs with the help of dedicated, caring volunteers. The shelter relies entirely on donations and gifts of cash, supplies and food.
Challenges will always abound. For example, government can be hostile to pet owners, especially those with dogs. Too many people see dogs as Western fetishes that collide with Islamic values. A recent announcement on Radio Free Europe alleged that Iranian authorities would clamp down on dog owners walking their pets in public because it was against the law.
According to Merritt Clifton, editor of Animal People, the Hadiths supposedly forbid dog ownership. But Clifton and other scholars question those strict interpretations and suggest that Muhammed’s imposition of a quarantine referred to an outbreak of rabies in Media at the time. The Prophet Muhammad also said that “whoever is kind to the creatures of Allah is kind to himself.” Dogs and cats are creatures of Allah.
The staff and volunteers at VAFA continue to spread messages about kindness and compassion towards all animals. They are determined to improve conditions for street dogs and cats and free them from a life of starvation, sickness and abuse. Fatemeh Motamedi, Lida Esnaashari and the Management Committee will continue improving the shelter with the aim of bringing it up to western standards.
Great News - VAFA opens second animal shelter in Mashad thanks to the generosity of some very special ladies who, between them, donated the land, paid for building the shelter and fenced the property. |
A mother dog with puppies hides between rocks in a barren part of the Iranian desert. A car rams a stray dog and leaves it to die on a busy highway. There’s a donkey with nowhere to go. 
