under threat. QAWS
Come on your vibrant and energetic folk. QAWS (Qatar animal welfare society) is under threat and there are enough folks around to keep this place open and functioning in a decent and healthy environment.
Janet Berry and her hardworking band of helpers have done a great work in recent years, being preceded in the past by some feisty folks who have battled hard for animals rights here in Qatar. Some of the rescues involved Elephants that had been kept in burning hot metal cages during summer, to kittens rescued from street-soccer players that were lacking a real ball!!
A civilised society is recognised by its attitude to not only the people dwelling there, but their care of the beasts that live with them. Even if we are in 'exile'... we should work for the welfare of the land that we've chosen to live in.
Here in Qatar, the more un-educated among our society pour boiling water on kittens to kill them, others choose to stuff them into plastic bags and leave them in the middle of roads in high traffic areas. (I have forced huge articulated trucks to come to a standstill in order to pluck kittens from between lanes of speeding traffic - and carried a dog off the Jaidah flyover after it had given up walking any further !!) Many of you have similar stories I know, but what we need is a lot of folks to give a little time, rather than a few folks having to give a lot of time - to continue this work.
If you can do a little to help... be it organising a fund-raiser, or helping run the kennels/cattery/ animal centre... lets be having you !!
We'll make sure the QAWS centre knows of your existence.
Angel!!
My husband is an accountant so I know how crucial these things are to any effort involving finances, particulary charitable efforts by the public.
Janet told me about a Couple, as Marjorie mentioned earlier, who would be arriving soon and who would be helping, but as with all accounting systems, there is plenty of room for more than one person ,particularly as it will not be on a full time basis for anyone doing the accounts.
It is one of the major factors in securing sponsorship/donations that we know where all the money is going, and I know she has great need of this kind of help as she is worked off her feet I understand, and doesn't have much time for bookwork. The more that can help the better. It would certainly help the QAWS/cause to have decent bookwork produced.
Angel
lachalla, welcome to Doha.
This past two weeks I have put three cats to sleep, one injured from hiding under a car which pulled away then stopped when he heard the squawking!!.. and recieved one tetanus shot for my troubles; rescued another one and kept it at my home along with the other 10 that we already have; four days ago I managed to find a home for another kitten that walked into my house off the street!; this morning I had to go down a deep hole in the road, to remove a half dead 'fried-in-the-sun' kitten !!
Boy, are we looking forward to your arrival!
There is much happening in Doha, and you will no doubt appraise yourself of the situation once you get here.
Please call me when you arrive. My mobile is 5206824
Angel
Hmm, when I met Jan last weekend she told me a British woman had just volunteered her accountant husband, and that they were arriving here shortly. So I think she knows about you! :-)
Angelwings,
I mailed Janet but have not had a reply - we would be happy to help. My husband is a part trained accountant and I write, as well as lecture, here in the UK. We will be in Qatar within a month and are both happy to help,
We have a very spoiled cat, and have worked as animal volunteers before,
Well one of the things that you mention is journalism... and the only way to get support for this cause/qaws, from a wider range of people, is to have something written in the public domain, ie., newspapers.
If you can have your articles translated into Arabic by a good sound translator, you can send the articles (for which you will normally be paid) to the Gulf Times, Al Watan, Al Rayyan, Peninsula, Khaleej Times, and of course all the magazines that operate here.
Maybe we should talk about the kind of things you could write. Getting together with a variety of folks to get different perspectives would be great, and a little research into some of the recent trends in other countries in terms of animal welfare programmes would be good. Qatar wants to be at the top in international activities, and one good way to mirror their development is to show how they are progressing.. not only with Human Rights, but Animal Rights also.
There you are Marjorie, what can you do with that !
Angel
Well, I'm an expert pooper-scooper. ;-) I don't have an expertise like the ones you mention, accounting or IT, but I'm handy at lots of things. My career background is in journalism, social work and tutoring, none of which seem very helpful! (OK, maybe social work....)
I think really I need to know more what the specific jobs needed are. Janet suggested maybe I could do hands-on things (cleaning? walking dogs? I don't know) weekly and serve on a monthly committee; that sounds good to me. She suggested that I call her and set up a time to go in and see QAWS and talk about it, so I hope to do that this weekend. Or should I wait so that a group of us can go in together?
Is there a specific thing that you're good at Marjorie? Something that we can say... "that's Marjorie's territory"!
Janet needs to get a group of specific people for specific jobs (bad english, but you know what I mean). Could you be one of them?
Great that you've signed up anyway. Thanks!
Angel
I just e-mailed them to say I'd like to help!
OK... having just spoken to the Lady Janet Berry herself, I can tell you that she is unable to continue the work as it stands because of the sheer volume of paperwork / accounts maintenance /event organisation to raise funds / poop-scoop / feed animals/ arrange transport/ feed herself /sleep /shower !!! You get the picture.
QAWS will close down unless there is more 'hands on' help from outside. Money is not going to be the answer. Action is needed - in all forms. Some is purely academic.. there is a need for IT geeks, accountants, legal beagles, etc etc.
Now I know that there are some folks out there who don't want to poop-scoop... but could take care of the accounts... and others who can't add up, but could help organise the fund-raisers. Others like myself who are full of ideas and steam, but don't have the time to feed the animals... and lots of others who love feeding and petting animals and even like poop-scooping... but can't do any of the other things.
We need to organise ourselves, and form a Cavalry here, and come to the rescue. Who is up to the task?
Janet would be willing to continue provided there is a 'Steering Committee'. This is a basic need so that we know where the funds go, can help organise a team, and generally be the trustees who are able to answer the questions that arise concerning an organisation such as this.
Replies please, either here, or go direct to their site as Marjorie mentioned above.
http://www.qataranimalwelfare.org
You can press the contact link, and let Janet know what you can do.
Anyone want to take charge of responses regarding QAWS on this Forum??
Angel.
mj, their website is here: http://www.qataranimalwelfare.org. I've never been there, but a friend of mine had an extremely favorable impression of them when she took a stray cat there a few months ago.
I'd like to do what I can to help. You can e-mail me through my user profile here.
Can you tell us more about what's going on? Why might it be shutting down? Is it low on funds? Are there not enough volunteers? Is the person who runs it leaving?
So how do I learn more about this group, contact them and see if I can do something?
Have janet contact [email protected], I make no promises, but I gurantee to try and get my agency to give some free help. We got my cat Yang from QAWS and I would hate to see more die because no one wants them. :(