ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — The soft sound of a whistle cut through the cries of rescued dogs. Feven Merese is a young woman who wants to help the thousands of dogs abandoned on the streets of Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia.
The 29-year-old, who has a degree in music, has built an unusual shelter on the outskirts of the city, where she provides food and a place to stay for 40 dogs, and feeds about 700 others on the streets each week.
Melese said she has found new homes for more than 300 dogs in the past two years. Together with fellow young animal rights activists, they are on a mission to change the widespread perception in Ethiopia that dogs are guardians working for humans, rather than pets to be cared for.
Addis Ababa’s skyscrapers are reducing shelter for the estimated 200,000 unclaimed dogs roaming the streets. Many dog owners abandon their dogs when they move to a new residential apartment where the landlord enforces a no-pet policy.
Authorities have expressed concern about the spread of diseases such as rabies, and have come under fire in recent months for poisoning thousands of stray dogs ahead of large events after residents were bitten.
According to Melese, many people in Ethiopia do not take good care of their dogs and abandon them when they become inconvenient.
“In Ethiopia, society doesn’t understand. They (dogs) don’t care if they’re hungry, if they have emotions, if they’re eating or not. They don’t care if they’re sick,” she says.
Although Melese’s shelter is small and makeshift, it is also a haven for dogs who have survived car accidents. One of them, Conduit, whose name means “beautiful” in Amharic, wears a neck brace to aid her healing and wags her tail when Melese hugs her.
Melese said that as a child in Addis Ababa, she took care of stray dogs, and eventually five stray dogs came and stayed at her house.
“My mother was angry and tried to take them back to the city, but they kept coming back. But I still keep them,” she said.
Some residents of Addis Ababa are concerned about the dangers posed by stray dogs and say they should be taken to shelters.
“They (dogs) do not allow humans to pass on the road and are aggressive and can bite. They are very dangerous to the community because their owners are unknown. No one can safely travel on this road at night,” Jonas Bezabi said.
Addis Ababa city official Melese Anshebo told The Associated Press that the government will begin registering and vaccinating dogs to hold dog owners fully accountable.
“We will seek shelter for dogs that appear to have no owners, and we may have to remove some stray dogs that show symptoms of the virus,” he said.
Veterinarian Dr. Alazar Ayele said rabies remains a serious public health concern in Addis Ababa and expressed concern that resources for vaccination, neutering and protection remain very limited.
“What we need is a coordinated humane approach to protect both people and animals, more vaccines, trained veterinarians and community education,” he said.
Melese’s friend Luna Solomon volunteers at the shelter several times a week, feeding the dogs and checking on those that need veterinary care.
Solomon said many owners abandon female dogs because they have the potential to breed.
“People don’t usually choose female dogs because there’s a lot of responsibility that comes with raising a female dog. There’s a lot that comes with a female dog, and they don’t want to be involved with a female dog producing puppies,” she says.
Birk Degen met Meles on social media when she was looking for a home for her dog, which had been abused by her housemates.
He now visits the shelter weekly to volunteer and is able to meet his dog Zuze.
Many people view dogs as guardians, but reciprocity between owners is often lacking, Degennes said.
“There’s no attachment. They just want them for their own benefit and stuff. So we’re a little bit conscious of that,” he said.
Melese and her friends will continue advocating for the dog on social media and on the streets of Addis Ababa, she said. They want the government to consider mass vaccinations, neutering programs and encouraged adoptions to give stray dogs a chance at rehoming.
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Associated Press journalist Samuel Getachew contributed.
