Apesey ♥s Kauto Star 💜💚💛

🐾 NEW SHELTER UPDATE! 🐾 This video was taken at our new temporary shelter site this morning, and after everything it has taken to reach this point, seeing this progress feels incredible. For almost two months, we have attended meeting after meeting to agree the land allocation. We have also spent countless hours working with engineers and contractors, repeatedly adjusting our plans to keep costs as low as possible without compromising the dogs’ safety. Today: 🐾 The entire site is finally fenced 🐾 A contractor is building the frame that will support our clinic 🐾 An engineer is marking out every section ready for construction There is still an enormous amount of work ahead, but the empty land is finally beginning to resemble our dogs’ future home. 💛 Erbil has experienced more rain than we would normally expect at this time of year. We have everything crossed for a few dry weeks so progress is not delayed—we desperately need to be ready to move very soon. Unfortunately, construction is not our only challenge. Yesterday, we explained that everyday shelter essentials have increased by at least 9%. Today, we replenished the drinking water for our staff. Last month, a 17-litre bottle cost 1,700 IQD. Today, the same bottle costs 2,000 IQD—an increase of almost 18%. Individually, these increases may appear manageable, but together they are placing enormous pressure on our already stretched budget. Please consider starting a small monthly donation. Just £2, $2 or €2 may not feel like much, but when many people give that amount every month, it creates reliable income that helps us feed the dogs, provide veterinary care and keep the shelter operating. Thanks to your incredible efforts, War Paws has climbed into 3rd place on the @MyGivingCircle leaderboard! 🎉 We still have a long way to go to reach 1st place and hold it until the end of December, so please keep voting every week and donating whenever you can. 💙 Vote, donate or begin monthly giving: mygivingcircle.org/war-paws/… Together, we are turning this empty land into a safe home. 🐶🏗️💛 #warpaws #shelterlife #saveourshelter #dogs

🐾 HUNDREDS OF DOGS ARE COUNTING ON US TO MAKE THIS WORK 🐾 These are just a few of our outside dogs enjoying their dinner. We have to admit that we are deeply worried about what will happen when we relocate them to the new shelter—and we have good reason to be. We have secured a large area for the dogs, but one condition of using the land is that the entire site must be fenced. On the positive side, this means the dogs will finally be safely contained and we will always know where they are. However, it also means they will lose the freedom to roam and scavenge for additional food. Once they move, they will depend entirely upon us to fill their stomachs every single day. At the same time, the recent devaluation of the Iraqi dinar has caused the price of many essential items to rise by at least 9%—and some increases have been far greater. A 50kg bag of lentils that last month cost approximately $54 now costs more than $70. That is just one ingredient used to prepare the huge quantities of nutritious food our dogs need each day. Month end is approaching, which means it is nearly time to replenish our food supplies. With rising prices and more dogs becoming completely dependent upon us, we could soon be spending at least 50% more just to ensure every dog continues receiving enough food and a balanced diet. We are beyond worried. Relocating the dogs safely is only part of the enormous challenge of relocating the shelter—we must also be able to continue feeding them once we have moved. Please consider donating through @MyGivingCircle this weekend. Every donation helps fill hungry stomachs and also gives War Paws additional votes in the current funding round. 💙 Vote or donate here: mygivingcircle.org/war-paws/… If you cannot donate, please cast your free vote and share this post. Hundreds of dogs are counting on all of us to make this work. 🐶🥣💛 #warpaws #dogs #costofliving #shelterife #pleasehelp

🦸‍♂️ ARE OUR STAFF SECRETLY SUPERHEROES? 🦸‍♀️ Every day at the War Paws shelter is busy—and this video offers just a glimpse of how much our incredible team accomplishes. Their daily jobs include preparing food, feeding the dogs, cleaning kennels, pools and the clinic, filling water buckets, repairing beds, restocking the food room, guiding deliveries, dealing with the septic truck, brushing dogs and responding to whatever unexpected problem appears next. Sometimes, we genuinely wonder whether they are wearing Superman outfits beneath their normal clothes! The shelter and its occupants are a living, breathing thing. No two days are ever the same, and carefully made plans can change within minutes when an animal needs urgent help, something breaks or another delivery arrives. Much of our team’s work happens quietly behind the scenes, but every repaired kennel, clean pool, full water bucket and prepared meal makes an enormous difference to the animals depending upon us. Our staff may not wear capes, but they are superheroes to us. We could not be prouder or more grateful to have such a dedicated team keeping War Paws moving through the busiest days, the hardest days and all the organised chaos in between. 🐶🐾💛 🚨 TODAY IS THE FINAL DAY TO NOMINATE WAR PAWS! 🚨 Nominations for the Benefact Group Animals & Wildlife Special Draw close today. Ten charities will each receive £5,000—and that would make an enormous difference as we rebuild and relocate our shelter. It is free, takes only a minute and you can nominate us from anywhere in the world. If you live outside the UK, scroll to the bottom of the location menu and select “International.” Please nominate War Paws before time runs out: 💙 bit.ly/warpaws-nominate Please also show our amazing team some love and share this post so more people can nominate us! 🐾 #WarPaws #EverydayHeroes #MovementForGood #AnimalRescue

🆘 COULD ONE MINUTE WIN WAR PAWS £5,000? 🆘 The @benefactgroup Animals & Wildlife Special Draw is now open—and ten animal charities will each receive an incredible £5,000 award! Nominations are only open from 5–18 October, so we urgently need our War Paws family to nominate us and share this opportunity as widely as possible. 🌍 YOU CAN NOMINATE WAR PAWS FROM ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD! 🌍 You do not need to live in the UK. Wherever you are, if you are over 18, you can complete the nomination form and give War Paws another chance of being selected. It takes around one minute, costs absolutely nothing and could make an enormous difference to our shelter relocation. We still need to build secure perimeter fencing, kennels and shaded areas; install water, drainage and electricity; move our veterinary clinic; and safely relocate hundreds of animals. Alongside these costs, we must continue feeding and caring for every animal at the current shelter until the move is complete. Winning £5,000 could help pay for vital construction materials, essential utilities or part of the enormous cost of moving our clinic and animals. It would bring us another meaningful step closer to giving the dogs somewhere safe to call home. Nominate War Paws using our dedicated link: 💙 bit.ly/warpaws-nominate Once you have nominated us, please comment “DONE” below and share this post. Ask your friends, family and fellow animal lovers—wherever they live—to nominate us too. One minute of your time could bring £5,000 to our shelter relocation and help secure the future of hundreds of animals. Please help us make every nomination count! 🐶🐾💛 #warpaws #movementforgood #benefactgroup #saveourshelter #animalrescue

🐾 AIRLOCK ANTICS! 🐾 Jazz, Tito, Ronnie, Reggie, Zarda, Lalita and Gara enjoyed some very energetic playtime in the airlock last night—and they certainly made the most of it! 😂🐶 With plenty of running, chasing and general chaos, this lively group gave our team another reminder that even during the most stressful days, the dogs can always find a reason to have fun. We also want to apologise for being unusually quiet on social media over the past few days. War Paws founder and Chairman, Dai Matthews, is visiting the shelter for a few days to assist with the urgent land-allocation process. Between meetings, discussions and everything else happening at the shelter, life has somehow been even crazier than usual—if that is actually possible! We are very sorry that we have not shared as many updates as we normally would. Please know that the work has not stopped; everyone is simply focused on doing everything possible to secure the future of our shelter and the hundreds of animals depending on us. Over the next few days, we will do our best to bring you further news from the shelter, more information about the land situation and an update on our incredible $5,000 match-fund challenge. In the meantime, we hope this video of Jazz, Tito, Ronnie, Reggie, Zarda, Lalita and Gara enjoying themselves brings a little happiness to your day. 💛 Thank you for your patience, understanding and continued support during this incredibly intense time. Please keep sharing our posts and talking about War Paws—we need you beside us now more than ever. 🐾 #warpaws #shelterdogs #playtime #saveourshelter #dogs

🐾 JOLENE’S PROGRESS & A NEW $5,000 MATCH CHALLENGE! 🐾 Jolene was back in the clinic yesterday to be spayed and have the dressings on her injured legs changed. We are thrilled by how well her wounds have healed. Considering how deep, painful and infected they were when she arrived, the difference is incredible. 💛 In June, we received a wonderful donation of Prontosan Wound Irrigation Solution and Wound Gel from the fabulous B Braun Vet Care team at BVA Live. These products are doing a superb job of helping Jolene’s legs heal. Donations of specialist supplies like these make an enormous difference to the care our clinic can provide. Jolene still has an emotional journey ahead as she learns that she is finally safe, but physically she is making fantastic progress. We could not be happier for our brave girl. We also have incredible fundraising news! 🎉 Thanks to your amazing efforts, we reached the full $2,000 target for Matt’s match fund—turning your donations into $4,000 for War Paws! Thank you to Matt for his extraordinary generosity and to everyone who donated and shared. 💙 But the matching does not end there… Last night, our lovely supporter Jan offered us another incredible $5,000 match-fund challenge! If we can raise the full amount, Jan will match it and together we will turn: 🎉 $5,000 into $10,000! 🎉 Every new donation received through My Giving Circle, JustGiving, CUDDLY or any of our other platforms will count towards this amazing match. Please keep sharing, donating and talking about War Paws and the desperate situation we face. Every donation matters, and every share could introduce our work to someone new who can help. 🗳️ My Giving Circle: mygivingcircle.org/war-paws/… 💙 JustGiving: justgiving.com/campaign/warp… 💙 CUDDLY: cuddly.com/donate/4958780/sa… Let’s unlock Jan’s full match and turn $5,000 into $10,000 for Jolene and every animal depending on War Paws. 🐶🐾💛 #warpaws #jolene #matchfund #woundcare #saveourshelter #dogs

🫐 MEET BLACKBERRY—AND HELP US UNLOCK AN INCREDIBLE MATCH FUND! 🫐 We are starting today with news of a new arrival who we have named Blackberry. 🐾 This lovely boy was found wandering around the very top of what used to be our driveway, so we brought him into the shelter to be neutered, vaccinated and given all the other care he needs. Blackberry may look like a wise old gentleman who has endured many difficult years, but he is actually only around 18 month old! Despite everything he may have experienced, he is incredibly friendly and thoroughly enjoying all the attention he is receiving from our team. 💛 We also have some fantastic fundraising news! Last night, we received an incredible match-fund offer from one of our wonderful supporters across the pond. Matt has generously offered to match the next $2,000/£1,483 donated to War Paws! 🎉 That means: 💙 $10 becomes $20 💙 £20 becomes £40 💙 $2,000 raised becomes an incredible $4,000 We are once again asking our amazing War Paws family to dig deep, donate if possible and share this post far and wide so we can unlock the entire match fund. As we are now so close to the end of the current My Giving Circle voting round, we would love donations to be made there whenever possible. Every donation also gives War Paws valuable additional votes, helping us protect our position in first place and remain in contention for the £3,000 prize! 🗳️ However, donations made through our JustGiving and CUDDLY Save Our Shelter fundraisers will also count towards unlocking Matt’s generous match. 🗳️ My Giving Circle: mygivingcircle.org/war-paws/… 💙 JustGiving: justgiving.com/campaign/warp… 💙 CUDDLY: cuddly.com/donate/4958780/sa… Blackberry is another reminder that even while we face the enormous challenge of relocating our shelter, animals in need will continue arriving at our door. Please help us unlock the full match fund, keep War Paws in first place and ensure that dogs like Blackberry continue receiving the safety and care they deserve. 🐶🫐💛 #warpaws #blackberry #matchfund #saveourshelter #dogs

🆘 THE STRAGGLERS AT THE LAST REMAINING POOL 🆘 The dogs in this video are some of the stragglers who remain beside the only pool still standing at what was once the top of our driveway. We do not expect this final pool to remain for much longer. To prepare the dogs for its loss, our team has started feeding them closer to the shelter. Each day, we place their food a little nearer, gently encouraging them to follow us towards the only space we have left. We will not lie—we are incredibly worried about how we will continue feeding them all. Many of these dogs previously survived by eating the carcasses of sheep and cows dumped in the surrounding area. With that land disappearing beneath the development, this is no longer an option. They are becoming increasingly reliant upon War Paws for every meal. We have already increased the amount of food we cook each day, but we simply do not have enough funding to increase it further. We are truly grateful for every donation made to our Save Our Shelter appeal. Your incredible support is giving us hope that we can relocate and rebuild before time runs out. However, while we urgently need to fund the move, we must also continue raising enough money to keep the current shelter operating every single day. The dogs still need food, medical care and clean water. We must keep the lights and essential equipment running, purchase fuel and cooking gas, and pay the dedicated staff caring for the animals. Those daily costs do not pause while we fundraise for the relocation. We are examining every part of our budget and trying to find places where we can reduce expenditure. However, every time we manage to save money somewhere, the cost of something else rises. Cooking gas had only recently returned to its normal price after months of increases. Then, following another escalation in regional tensions two weeks ago, the price immediately increased again. Petrol costs have also soared. We are now paying more than double what we paid in January—the price of ordinary petrol today is the same as we previously paid for super-grade fuel. A small monthly donation makes an enormous difference because it gives us reliable income that we can plan around. Whether you donate through My Giving Circle, PayPal or one of our other platforms, even £1, $1 or €1 each month will help. Across our social media platforms, we have around 50,000 followers. If just 25,000 of those supporters gave £1, $1 or €1 every month, it would completely transform our ability to cope with these relentless increases and continue feeding and caring for the dogs. We are not asking a few people to carry the entire burden. We are asking many people to give one small, affordable amount—and together create something life-changing. Please consider starting a small monthly donation today: 💙 My Giving Circle: mygivingcircle.org/war-paws/… If you cannot donate, please share this video. Help us reach more people who may be able to give these dogs the dependable future they desperately need. A tiny donation from you could mean another full bowl for them. 🐶🥣💛 #warpaws #shelterdogs #animalrescue #saveourshelter #pleasehelp

🆘 MORE DOGS, LESS SPACE AND A GROWING FOOD BILL 🆘 This footage was taken at feeding time last night. Feeding hundreds of free-roaming dogs has never been easy, although our incredible staff often make it look that way. Now, many more dogs are living within a much smaller area around the shelter, making every feeding time even more challenging. Previously, many of the dogs living at the top of the driveway would feed on the carcasses of dead livestock dumped nearby. They were often not particularly interested in the food we offered—but that has now changed. With their former territory disappearing beneath the construction work, more dogs are moving closer to the shelter and relying on us for every meal. We have had to significantly increase the amount of food we cook each day, pushing our monthly food costs well over budget. Your donations are not only helping us relocate and rebuild the shelter. They also help us feed hundreds of dogs, provide veterinary treatment, keep the lights on and vital equipment running, pay our incredible staff and care for every animal that depends on us. Once again, the weekend has rolled around. More than anything, we wish we could slow down time—but that is something we cannot control. What we can do is ask you all to keep voting and donating through @MyGivingCircle. Every free vote helps us climb the leaderboard, while every £1 donated supports our animals and gives War Paws an additional vote. 🗳️💛 Time really is running out. We have approximately one month to relocate hundreds of dogs, but they still need to be fed and cared for every single day while we prepare for the move. Please donate whatever you can. Every £1, $1 or €1 helps provide another meal, another treatment and another small step towards safety. 💙 Vote or donate on My Giving Circle: mygivingcircle.org/war-paws/… If you cannot donate, please keep sharing our posts. Help us reach friends, family and fellow animal lovers who may be able to support us. These dogs are relying on us and you. 🐶💛 #warpaws #saveourshelter #shelterdogs #animalrescue #pleasehelp

🆘 We are on the edge of a precipice, but Tito doesn't know that...🆘 This is Tito, relaxing on her fluffy bed with her favourite chew and an impressive selection of toys close at hand. Seeing her safe and content makes it difficult to imagine how sadly her story began. 💛 Tito was found at the top of our driveway in August with her siblings. Tragically, her siblings did not survive—but Tito made it. Because Tito is a small-breed dog, returning her to the streets was never an option. She would be far too vulnerable, so we found space for one more little dog despite already being desperately overcrowded. Tito may be safe today, but her future—and the future of every animal and our staff at War Paws—is now teetering on the edge of a precipice. We have reached the do-or-die stage. We have approximately ONE MONTH to relocate the shelter and move hundreds of animals. Our need has never been more desperate. The developers have been patient with us, but we cannot expect that patience to last forever, they have given us many deadlines to move which we have not been able to meet, we will not get another deadline beyond the month they gave us last week. Every day we remain at our current location delays their project and costs them money. Our shelter area is now smaller than it has ever been, and construction work is taking place just metres away from our animals. If we are not moving within a month, there may be nothing left to move. The developers will simply bulldoze the shelter, and it will be game over. That is how desperate and frightening our situation has become. Louise has returned to Erbil and is working flat out with lawyers and government officials to finalise a land agreement, while our Operations team is working around the clock to obtain quotations for every part of the rebuild and the clinic is trying to plan how we can continue to give veterinary care as we start to pack up all of the equipment. We cannot describe the levels of stress our entire staff is enduring right now but still they wake up smiling, bright and early every day of the week so they can ensure our dogs get the care they need. We estimate that relocating and rebuilding the shelter to the standard our animals and staff deserve will cost between $300,000 and $350,000. So far, we have raised approximately $170,000. That is an incredible amount, but it is nowhere near enough to complete the move and provide a secure new home for the animals. We had desperately hoped to have raised more by this stage, but alongside the relocation appeal, we must continue finding approximately $25,000 every month simply to keep War Paws operating. That money keeps the lights on, feeds the dogs and cats, provides the medical care they need and pays the dedicated staff who look after them every day. We truly appreciate how generous everyone has already been. We know that times are difficult and that many of you have donated repeatedly, but we are begging you to please dig a little deeper if you possibly can. Every £1 donated makes a difference. Dogs like Tito are why failure is not an option. She has already lost her siblings—we cannot allow her to lose the safety she has found too. Please donate to one of our dedicated Save Our Shelter fundraisers today: 💙 JustGiving: justgiving.com/campaign/warp… 💙 CUDDLY: cuddly.com/donate/4958780/sa… 💙 MY GIVING CIRCLE mygivingcircle.org/war-paws/… If you cannot donate, please share Tito’s video and our fundraising links. We urgently need more people to understand what is at stake and help us give Tito—and every animal depending on War Paws—a safe place to call home. 🐶🐾 #warpaws #saveourshelter #dogrescue #dogs #pleasehelp

After a small mishap involving a truck and the pool at the very top of the driveway last week, it was sadly left unusable for a few days. 🚚🙈 We are delighted to report that the damage has now been repaired, the pool is full of fresh water and it is officially back in operation! As you can see, the dogs who live in that area are absolutely thrilled to have their favourite cooling spot returned to them—and wasted no time carrying out a very thorough inspection! 🐶💦 Our pools are incredibly important to the driveway dogs, particularly while temperatures remain so high. They provide somewhere to cool down, splash around and simply enjoy themselves. 🚨 DON’T FORGET—IT’S DOUBLE VOTES WEEKEND! 🚨 Every FREE vote cast for War Paws on @MyGivingCircle this weekend counts as TWO votes—and every £1 donated also gives us TWO votes. Even better, our wonderful supporter Nick has offered an incredible £1,500 match fund! Every £1 donated through My Giving Circle this weekend will be matched until we reach the £1,500 target, turning your donations into an amazing £3,000 for the animals. 🗳️ Every free vote counts twice 💷 Every donation earns double votes 🎉 Every donation is matched up to £1,500 Please vote or donate here: 👉 mygivingcircle.org/war-paws/… Please keep voting, donate if you can and share this post far and wide. Let’s unlock the full match fund and help provide everything our dogs need—including the pools they love so much! 🐾💛 #warpaws #pooltime #shelterdogs #freeroamingdogs