Northwest Syria's love for puppies and kittens blossoms a year after the earthquake | Türkiye and Syria earthquake

IDLIB, Syria – Hundreds of cats and dogs run around, chasing each other and playing in Ernesto's war-torn animal paradise on the outskirts of Idlib city.

They are well-fed and clearly under the care of a veterinarian – and Mohamed Wattar, who runs the shelter, is proud to provide that.

When two massive earthquakes struck northwest Syria and southern Turkey on February 6, 2023, Watar's team mobilized to rescue more than 1,300 animals on the Syrian side of the border, working 16 hours a day to find and move them.

“At first, people were not interested in rescuing animals because humans needed to be rescued faster, but then they started encouraging us,” Wattar said.

It's not clear what led to this change, but several people Al Jazeera spoke to pointed to a widely held belief that animals can warn their owners of an impending natural disaster.

Whether it's because of that or because more people appreciate the comfort of a four-legged friend after earthquake loss and destruction, the demand for pet adoptions of all kinds has skyrocketed.

Muhammad Wattar with Bobi, who was paralyzed and lost her left leg in the earthquakes. She gets around in a specially made wheelchair [Ali Haj Suleiman/Al Jazeera]

Watar is happy that there is a lot of interest and told Al Jazeera that the number of people wanting to adopt a cat has tripled over the past months, which is great because there are a lot of animals that need a home.

About 2,300 people currently live in Ernesto's Paradise, all of whom are fed, cared for and treated by the team.

“Many animals were injured,” he said as he walked towards Bobby, a dog that was on a leash when the quakes struck. A wall fell on her lower back, paralyzing her and losing her left leg.

Last year's earthquakes claimed the lives of more than 4,500 people in northern Syria, destroyed 10,600 buildings and displaced hundreds of thousands of people.

As for those who survived, they are in a state of constant tension and fear, and months of aftershocks did not make things easier for them or reduce their stress.

Natural alarm system

Muhammad Halabi, who lives in Ariha, south of Idlib, swears that he can tell how strong the aftershock is by the reactions of his four cats.

“When a small aftershock occurs, they feel it, but they do not feel very afraid. “When the aftershock is strong, they rush to hide in narrow places or bump into the wall and make loud noises,” Al-Halabi said.

Before dawn on February 6, Al-Halabi woke up to see his cat Sally scratching persistently at his blanket.

Watar plays with the cats in Ernesto's paradise [Ali Haj Suleiman/Al Jazeera]

The 34-year-old told Al Jazeera: “I noticed the ground was shaking, but I thought I was dizzy, then I realized it was an earthquake.”

“I picked up my cat and ran out of the house.”

Jericho was not one of the areas severely affected by the first earthquake, which measured 7.8 on the Richter scale that day, but its buildings are fragile and damaged as a result of repeated bombing campaigns by the Syrian regime and its allies, making people there in a state of fear of bombing. Houses collapse in any of the aftershocks.

After February 6, the use of earthquake warning apps has become widespread in the region, but their users still do not feel that this is enough.

Since earthquakes are disasters that occur with only seconds of advance notice, and so far scientists are still unable to predict their severity, people have put their trust in animals to predict earthquakes.

Most of Al-Halabi's friends became pet owners after last year's earthquakes, and most chose cats and birds based on his advice that they were most likely aware of approaching earthquakes and aftershocks.

Breeder Mohammed Al-Omar and his neighbors were puzzled by the frantic barking of his five dogs on the night of February 6.

Muhammad Al-Halabi holds his cat Farah. Her presence in his home is a source of relief, especially in light of his fear of a repeat of last February's earthquakes [Ali Haj Suleiman/Al Jazeera]

“They looked strange. We breeders know that indicates danger.”

While people may have noticed animals behaving strangely before the earthquakes and did not attach much importance to it at the time, things have changed since then, and they now rely on animals' senses.

The dogs' high sense of danger made the 33-year-old feel safe. Al-Omar said: “I heard their voice as I was returning home one day, and I learned that there was an earthquake, so I took cover, and it happened and it was strong.”

Dogs themselves can cower and hide when they sense danger, but they become very stressed if the vibrations are prolonged, and bark constantly. “The first time we didn't know what was happening to them, but when the second earthquake happened, we knew they were alerting us.”

The second earthquake, which occurred on February 6, had a magnitude of 7.6. The epicenter of the two tremors was in southern Türkiye.

Al-Omar's house in the city of Binnish, north of Idlib, suffered some damage, but he and his family became safe thanks to the warning they received from the dogs.

Al-Omar shared those warnings with his friends and family via a WhatsApp group, and after that, many began thinking about raising pets of their own.

The comfort of the four-legged friend has become increasingly appreciated in northwest Syria after last year's earthquakes [Ali Haj Suleiman/Al Jazeera]

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos