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Who We Are

Ernesto’s Sanctuary is the only comprehensive animal rescue and care organization operating in Syria. In times of war or peace, we’re giving thousands of cats and other animals refuge and a second chance at life. From cats and dogs to farm animals, every life is given a second chance through rescue, rehabilitation, and lifelong care.

Every animal has a story worth telling, and every donation helps provide food, medical care, shelter and hope.

Read More About Our Mission

What We Do

Sanctuary & Farm — At Ernesto’s cat sanctuary we care for over 2,800 cats of all sizes, shapes and colours; every one of them a survivor with their own story. Nearby, Winsons Farm is home to 35 dogs, 4 donkeys, 1 Arabian horse, 2 geese, 5 monkeys and 2 peacocks, all rescued from bad situations.

Free Veterinary Clinic — Our well-equipped Free Veterinary Clinic treats animals free of charge, with two fully qualified vets and an animal nursing team. We provide neutering, perform lifesaving operations every week, and offer first aid to wild animals in need. We employ local residents on all our sites.

Rescue & Outreach — Our veterinary team runs emergency clinics and rescue missions across Syria, and we advise and educate to improve the lives of the animals in our area.

Latest Updates

WTG https://welttierschutz.org/en/ are active all over the world and they are a non-profit animal welfare organisation based in Berlin (Germany). Their vision marries very well with the vision of Ernestos House of Cats. A world in which animals are appreciated and treated according to their needs. In their work for animal welfare, they focus on countries and regions of the world that have little protection for animals. Regions like ours in war torn NW Syria. WTG (Welttierschutzgesellschaft e.V) are Ernestos partners at our free clinic. Their assistance in helping with vaccines, medicines, veterinary equipment and some of the high costs of our free clinic, over the last years, has been invaluable, and throughout the earthquake devastation their emergency funding and supplies of vaccines, medicines and rescue equipment helped us to save the lives of many animals. Their aid helps us to concentrate on essential costs at Ernestos Sanctuary and Winsons Farm and on vital supplies and equipment for both clinics and sanctuaries. You will all have seen the green and white posters on the wall of our Free Clinic, with the name WTG in prominent letters. You will also see the letters WTG on the teeshirts of the Vets team. It is also on the side of our mobile, animal ambulance which WTG kindly provided for us at the time of the earthquake. It has made it easier for out vets to travel to outlying areas and help more animals. It is a self-contained mobile clinic and we can treat many animals on site. All over the world they are helping charities with projects large and small. Their vision is a world in which animals are noticed by people and treated with respect and humaneness. Their animal protection work focuses on developing and emerging countries, where there are hardly any measures to protect animals. Together with local partner organizations, they ensure sustainable improvements in the lives of strays, farm animals and wild animals as part of their animal protection projects, including wildlife protection centres, mobile veterinary clinics and castration campaigns. Through animal protection education, they simultaneously increase the population's awareness of the needs of animals. As part of the VETS UNITED program, together with the World Animal Welfare Foundation, WTG are committed to improving the transfer of sound theoretical and practical knowledge in the training and further education of numerous professional groups in the field of animal health. The aim is to firmly anchor the idea of ​​animal protection in animal health work and to provide professional animal health care. They are also committed to strengthening animal protection in development cooperation projects. In exceptional situations and global crises such as the corona pandemic or natural disasters that pose an acute threat to animals or animal welfare, they provide immediate assistance. For more details on the outstanding work they are doing around the world please see their website - https://welttierschutz.org/tierschutzarbeit
January 2025 Since the fall of the regime in Syria, our veterinary team are now able to enter into the rest of Syria for the first time in many years. We have already run clinics in Aleppo and one in Damascus. The conditions in some of the cities, towns and villages have been horrendous for people and animals during the last years. We endeavour to help them as much as we can. We would like to thank WTG https://welttierschutz.org/ for their support of the Free Clinic and for helping to buy dried food which we have been distributing at these emergency clinics. They have also paid to repair the front of the Free Clinic building, which was badly hit by bomb blast in early December 2024. Our thanks also go out to IFAW, Animals Australia, and Wings for Animals who have all assisted us in our emergency missions into Syria in the last weeks.

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For beautiful, original watercolour paintings of our animals, painted by American artist Mimi Boothby, and other merchandise, including prints, bags, note books and teeshirts