Haji founded the organization “Lucky” to be the first comprehensive shelter in the governorate for the care and protection of stray dogs and cats from neglect and violence. These dogs are often found in public areas and near garbage dumps, where they find food and shelter. However, their presence in these places often becomes a source of concern for residents, especially when they unexpectedly attack passersby or gather in large numbers during nighttime hours.
Rania, speaking to ” “, said she established the place with very limited resources, just a small piece of land, but with great determination. “I used to see dogs in the streets hungry and injured, so I decided to stand up against this pain and provide them with a safe shelter to protect them from harm,” she said.
Today, the shelter houses more than 250 dogs, according to Rania, up from about 160 a year and a half ago, in addition to an increasing number of cats that are rescued regularly. She continued, “Inside the shelter, the animals are counted, vaccinated, and treated for diseases and viruses through self-efforts and with the help of a small group of volunteers, no more than five people.”
Rania added, “We are a simple team, just five people. Three of them have small cat shelters, and two are directly with us for dog rescues. Every day, we go out on new rescue missions, transporting animals with our private cars and covering the costs of water, food, and treatment from our personal accounts.”
Despite the humanitarian message of the “Lucky” organization, the journey has not been easy. Rania and her team face multiple challenges, most notably the lack of official support from the government or organizations, in addition to difficulties in securing water and electricity as they rely on solar energy. They also face harassment from some citizens who do not accept the idea of rescuing animals.
She continued, “Sometimes we are threatened or face lawsuits just because we defended a dog or rescued a cat. We have no entity supporting us, nor sufficient legal protection despite the existence of Article 486 of the Iraqi law that criminalizes animal torture.” The “Lucky” foundation calls on the government and the Kurdistan Regional Government to activate animal protection laws and enforce penalties on those who harm them, emphasizing that this message is purely humanitarian and not a commercial or political endeavor.
Rania concluded her speech by saying, “My message to every activist and every person who loves life: animals deserve to live safely like us. We need special police for animals. We need the actual implementation of Article 486 so that those who harm animals know under which law they will be punished.” Despite the difficulties, Rania and her companions continue to work daily from their small shelter, where dogs bark joyfully, unaware of language, and cats crawl towards food bowls with rare tranquility.
The significant increase in the number of attack victims, especially among children and students, prompted the Iraqi government to take urgent measures last year. The interior ministry teams conducted campaigns to control stray dogs in several governorates, during which they managed to eliminate more than four thousand stray dogs in one month using hunting rifles. However, these measures sparked widespread controversy, as animal welfare organizations considered them contrary to the principles of compassion and humanity, calling for more humane alternative methods to curb the spread of stray dogs, such as sterilization, vaccination, and sheltering.
