Azadeh, The Animal Rescuer - (Extended)

Statement:

- (2020 Grant recipients of Pulitzer Center)

Ms. Azadeh Mahjoub is 39 years old. In 2012, she set up a refuge for injured animals (often dogs and cats) in the suburbs of the city of Rasht (Lakan Shahr region), in the North of Iran. She is a graduate of accounting and was formerly employed at a public university. But Azadeh resigned from her job to protect animal rights. She sold her wedding gifts (jewelry), and aside her husband’s financial contribution, she raised the funds needed, and finally opened an animal rescue shelter.

150 dogs and 70 cats now live in this shelter. Most of them have been abused by previous owners, or injured in road accidents, or suffer with digestive or mental health issues. This place is the only shelter in Iran that also keeps dogs with spinal cord injuries. Three females and one male contractor cover daily tasks in the shelter, but keeping them around has been hard due to the hardships of the job and the small salaries they earn. For such a high volume of work, this place needs more than seven workers at a time, but with current financial difficulties, Azadeh cannot afford it. It is challenging to run such a place with only four employees.

Iran is an Islamic country, and the dog is considered an impure animal. Over time, when hardliners became aware of the existence of this shelter, Azadeh repeatedly received messages threatening that the shelter would be set on fire. Monthly expenses of the shelter, which exceed 30 million tomans ($1500) a month, are usually covered by public donations. Unfortunately, with the outbreak of coronavirus and people’s low incomes, the volume of public donations has greatly decreased, and the institute is struggling with many problems. These difficulties have also affected the workers, and two of them have had to be replaced.

During normal years, several restaurants and wedding halls permanently supported the shelter, giving it the leftover food of the previous night. After separating the excess fat, re-boiling it and combining it with dry food, shelter staff would feed it to the animals. The long-term closure of celebration halls and restaurants has caused yet another aspect of financial stress for the shelter.

: Rasht, Iran – May 2020 Ms Mahin who is one the active employees of this organization, is present at work before the dawn each day.

: Rasht, Iran – May 2020. In this coronavirus crisis, employees are trying to fully follow the health protocols.

: Rasht, Iran – May 2020. Dogs kept in this room, have all had some sort of arm and leg impairments. Some of them has lost an arm or a leg.

: Rasht, Iran – May 2020. Ms Shahla who is a retired Pars Khazar company employee is 60. She has been working here for four years.

: Rasht, Iran – May 2020. Ms Shahla who is a retired Pars Khazar company employee is 60. She has been working here for four years.

: Rasht, Iran – May 2020. While are being fed, the dogs are obedient to the workers and listen to them.

: Rasht, Iran – May 2020. Each morning after cleaning the rooms, female employees carries out the task of feeding animals.

: Rasht, Iran – May 2020. As it starts to get light, female employees perform the task of feeding animals.

: Rasht, Iran – May 2020. At the beginning of the day, all the dogs are set free to go to the yard so that the cleaning task of the animals’ rooms would be done.

: Rasht, Iran – May 2020. In this shelter, dogs are kept in separate places according to their conditions. Each morning the fist group that are fed, are the over-age dogs.

: Rasht, Iran – May 2020. This dog that has been brought to this unfortunate end due to being a victim of physical violence by humans, is transferring to this part of the clinic to undergo surgeries. The doctor is treating this animal.

: Rasht, Iran – May 2020. An excited dog that has been quadriplegic since birth, is kept in cats shelter and also close to Ms Mahjoub in order to be taken care of with more attention. Ms. Azadeh Mahjoub, 39 years old, examining a dog in her animal’s rescue shelter. In 2012, she set up a shelter for injured animals (often dogs and cats) in the suburbs of the city of Rasht (Lakan shahr region) in North part of Iran. She is a graduate of accounting and has been an employee of a public university. Azadeh resigned from her job to protect animal rights and started a shelter by selling her wedding gifts (jewelries) alongside her husband’s financial contribution. Currently, 150 dogs and 70 cats are kept in this shelter. The symptoms of these animals include abuse by previous owners, road accidents, digestive and mental health problems. This place is the only shelter in Iran that also keeps dogs with spinal cord injury. In this shelter, there are three female and one male contractor who are covering daily tasks but keeping them around is a hard job due to the hardship of the job and small amount of salary. For such high volume of work, this place needs more than 7 workers at the same time, and due to financial difficulties, they cannot pay their salaries and with only 4 workers, it is very hard to run such place. Iran is an Islamic country and dog is considered as an impure animal. Over time, when hardliners, became aware of the existence of this shelter, Azadeh repeatedly received threatened messages that the site to be set on fire by different individuals. Monthly expenses of this shelter exceed 30 million tomans ($2500) a month, which is usually managed with public donations. Unfortunately, with the outbreak of coronavirus and people’s low income, the volume of public donations has greatly decreased, and the institute is struggling with many problems. This has also affected the workers and 2 of them have been replaced. During the year, several restaurants and we

: Rasht, Iran – May 2020. Ms Mahjoub is taking a rest while being disturbed by a playful dog showing love to her. Ms. Azadeh Mahjoub, 39 years old, examining a dog in her animal’s rescue shelter. In 2012, she set up a shelter for injured animals (often dogs and cats) in the suburbs of the city of Rasht (Lakan shahr region) in North part of Iran. She is a graduate of accounting and has been an employee of a public university. Azadeh resigned from her job to protect animal rights and started a shelter by selling her wedding gifts (jewelries) alongside her husband’s financial contribution. Currently, 150 dogs and 70 cats are kept in this shelter. The symptoms of these animals include abuse by previous owners, road accidents, digestive and mental health problems. This place is the only shelter in Iran that also keeps dogs with spinal cord injury. In this shelter, there are three female and one male contractor who are covering daily tasks but keeping them around is a hard job due to the hardship of the job and small amount of salary. For such high volume of work, this place needs more than 7 workers at the same time, and due to financial difficulties, they cannot pay their salaries and with only 4 workers, it is very hard to run such place. Iran is an Islamic country and dog is considered as an impure animal. Over time, when hardliners, became aware of the existence of this shelter, Azadeh repeatedly received threatened messages that the site to be set on fire by different individuals. Monthly expenses of this shelter exceed 30 million tomans ($2500) a month, which is usually managed with public donations. Unfortunately, with the outbreak of coronavirus and people’s low income, the volume of public donations has greatly decreased, and the institute is struggling with many problems. This has also affected the workers and 2 of them have been replaced. During the year, several restaurants and wedding halls used to permanently support the shelter, giving the rest

: Rasht, Iran – May 2020. Ms. A phone call to order the written items from the veterinary pharmacy. Azadeh Mahjoub, 39 years old, examining a dog in her animal’s rescue shelter. In 2012, she set up a shelter for injured animals (often dogs and cats) in the suburbs of the city of Rasht (Lakan shahr region) in North part of Iran. She is a graduate of accounting and has been an employee of a public university. Azadeh resigned from her job to protect animal rights and started a shelter by selling her wedding gifts (jewelries) alongside her husband’s financial contribution. Currently, 150 dogs and 70 cats are kept in this shelter. The symptoms of these animals include abuse by previous owners, road accidents, digestive and mental health problems. This place is the only shelter in Iran that also keeps dogs with spinal cord injury. In this shelter, there are three female and one male contractor who are covering daily tasks but keeping them around is a hard job due to the hardship of the job and small amount of salary. For such high volume of work, this place needs more than 7 workers at the same time, and due to financial difficulties, they cannot pay their salaries and with only 4 workers, it is very hard to run such place. Iran is an Islamic country and dog is considered as an impure animal. Over time, when hardliners, became aware of the existence of this shelter, Azadeh repeatedly received threatened messages that the site to be set on fire by different individuals. Monthly expenses of this shelter exceed 30 million tomans ($2500) a month, which is usually managed with public donations. Unfortunately, with the outbreak of coronavirus and people’s low income, the volume of public donations has greatly decreased, and the institute is struggling with many problems. This has also affected the workers and 2 of them have been replaced. During the year, several restaurants and wedding halls used to permanently support the shelter, giving the rest of the food of the

: Rasht, Iran – May 2020. Ms. A note for provision of medications and medical services and even for reminding dietary nutritions of the animals that are under treatment. Azadeh Mahjoub, 39 years old, examining a dog in her animal’s rescue shelter. In 2012, she set up a shelter for injured animals (often dogs and cats) in the suburbs of the city of Rasht (Lakan shahr region) in North part of Iran. She is a graduate of accounting and has been an employee of a public university. Azadeh resigned from her job to protect animal rights and started a shelter by selling her wedding gifts (jewelries) alongside her husband’s financial contribution. Currently, 150 dogs and 70 cats are kept in this shelter. The symptoms of these animals include abuse by previous owners, road accidents, digestive and mental health problems. This place is the only shelter in Iran that also keeps dogs with spinal cord injury. In this shelter, there are three female and one male contractor who are covering daily tasks but keeping them around is a hard job due to the hardship of the job and small amount of salary. For such high volume of work, this place needs more than 7 workers at the same time, and due to financial difficulties, they cannot pay their salaries and with only 4 workers, it is very hard to run such place. Iran is an Islamic country and dog is considered as an impure animal. Over time, when hardliners, became aware of the existence of this shelter, Azadeh repeatedly received threatened messages that the site to be set on fire by different individuals. Monthly expenses of this shelter exceed 30 million tomans ($2500) a month, which is usually managed with public donations. Unfortunately, with the outbreak of coronavirus and people’s low income, the volume of public donations has greatly decreased, and the institute is struggling with many problems. This has also affected the workers and 2 of them have been replaced. During the year, several restaurants and wedding halls used

: Rasht, Iran – May 2020. Two women were running in one of the parks in the city that witnessed this inhuman scene. This pretty cute dog has been harmed through physical violence with tar and acid attack by humans. Ms. Azadeh Mahjoub, 39 years old, examining a dog in her animal’s rescue shelter. In 2012, she set up a shelter for injured animals (often dogs and cats) in the suburbs of the city of Rasht (Lakan shahr region) in North part of Iran. She is a graduate of accounting and has been an employee of a public university. Azadeh resigned from her job to protect animal rights and started a shelter by selling her wedding gifts (jewelries) alongside her husband’s financial contribution. Currently, 150 dogs and 70 cats are kept in this shelter. The symptoms of these animals include abuse by previous owners, road accidents, digestive and mental health problems. This place is the only shelter in Iran that also keeps dogs with spinal cord injury. In this shelter, there are three female and one male contractor who are covering daily tasks but keeping them around is a hard job due to the hardship of the job and small amount of salary. For such high volume of work, this place needs more than 7 workers at the same time, and due to financial difficulties, they cannot pay their salaries and with only 4 workers, it is very hard to run such place. Iran is an Islamic country and dog is considered as an impure animal. Over time, when hardliners, became aware of the existence of this shelter, Azadeh repeatedly received threatened messages that the site to be set on fire by different individuals. Monthly expenses of this shelter exceed 30 million tomans ($2500) a month, which is usually managed with public donations. Unfortunately, with the outbreak of coronavirus and people’s low income, the volume of public donations has greatly decreased, and the institute is struggling with many problems. This has also affected the workers and 2 of them have been replaced. During the y

: Rasht, Iran – May 2020. Cats suffering from rare diseases are kept and treated here in this room. Ms. Azadeh Mahjoub, 39 years old, examining a dog in her animal’s rescue shelter. In 2012, she set up a shelter for injured animals (often dogs and cats) in the suburbs of the city of Rasht (Lakan shahr region) in North part of Iran. She is a graduate of accounting and has been an employee of a public university. Azadeh resigned from her job to protect animal rights and started a shelter by selling her wedding gifts (jewelries) alongside her husband’s financial contribution. Currently, 150 dogs and 70 cats are kept in this shelter. The symptoms of these animals include abuse by previous owners, road accidents, digestive and mental health problems. This place is the only shelter in Iran that also keeps dogs with spinal cord injury. In this shelter, there are three female and one male contractor who are covering daily tasks but keeping them around is a hard job due to the hardship of the job and small amount of salary. For such high volume of work, this place needs more than 7 workers at the same time, and due to financial difficulties, they cannot pay their salaries and with only 4 workers, it is very hard to run such place. Iran is an Islamic country and dog is considered as an impure animal. Over time, when hardliners, became aware of the existence of this shelter, Azadeh repeatedly received threatened messages that the site to be set on fire by different individuals. Monthly expenses of this shelter exceed 30 million tomans ($2500) a month, which is usually managed with public donations. Unfortunately, with the outbreak of coronavirus and people’s low income, the volume of public donations has greatly decreased, and the institute is struggling with many problems. This has also affected the workers and 2 of them have been replaced. During the year, several restaurants and wedding halls used to permanently support the shelter, giving the rest of the food of

: Rasht , Iran – May 2020. Ms Mahjoub is taking a rest for a while after doing the daily work and the anxious dog which has recently had an accident is sitting beside her. Ms. Azadeh Mahjoub, 39 years old, examining a dog in her animal’s rescue shelter. In 2012, she set up a shelter for injured animals (often dogs and cats) in the suburbs of the city of Rasht (Lakan shahr region) in North part of Iran. She is a graduate of accounting and has been an employee of a public university. Azadeh resigned from her job to protect animal rights and started a shelter by selling her wedding gifts (jewelries) alongside her husband’s financial contribution. Currently, 150 dogs and 70 cats are kept in this shelter. The symptoms of these animals include abuse by previous owners, road accidents, digestive and mental health problems. This place is the only shelter in Iran that also keeps dogs with spinal cord injury. In this shelter, there are three female and one male contractor who are covering daily tasks but keeping them around is a hard job due to the hardship of the job and small amount of salary. For such high volume of work, this place needs more than 7 workers at the same time, and due to financial difficulties, they cannot pay their salaries and with only 4 workers, it is very hard to run such place. Iran is an Islamic country and dog is considered as an impure animal. Over time, when hardliners, became aware of the existence of this shelter, Azadeh repeatedly received threatened messages that the site to be set on fire by different individuals. Monthly expenses of this shelter exceed 30 million tomans ($2500) a month, which is usually managed with public donations. Unfortunately, with the outbreak of coronavirus and people’s low income, the volume of public donations has greatly decreased, and the institute is struggling with many problems. This has also affected the workers and 2 of them have been replaced. During the year, several restaurants and wedding hall

: Rasht , Iran – May 2020. It has been more than one month since this dog was seriously injured in a car accident and now it is recovering. Ms. Azadeh Mahjoub, 39 years old, examining a dog in her animal’s rescue shelter. In 2012, she set up a shelter for injured animals (often dogs and cats) in the suburbs of the city of Rasht (Lakan shahr region) in North part of Iran. She is a graduate of accounting and has been an employee of a public university. Azadeh resigned from her job to protect animal rights and started a shelter by selling her wedding gifts (jewelries) alongside her husband’s financial contribution. Currently, 150 dogs and 70 cats are kept in this shelter. The symptoms of these animals include abuse by previous owners, road accidents, digestive and mental health problems. This place is the only shelter in Iran that also keeps dogs with spinal cord injury. In this shelter, there are three female and one male contractor who are covering daily tasks but keeping them around is a hard job due to the hardship of the job and small amount of salary. For such high volume of work, this place needs more than 7 workers at the same time, and due to financial difficulties, they cannot pay their salaries and with only 4 workers, it is very hard to run such place. Iran is an Islamic country and dog is considered as an impure animal. Over time, when hardliners, became aware of the existence of this shelter, Azadeh repeatedly received threatened messages that the site to be set on fire by different individuals. Monthly expenses of this shelter exceed 30 million tomans ($2500) a month, which is usually managed with public donations. Unfortunately, with the outbreak of coronavirus and people’s low income, the volume of public donations has greatly decreased, and the institute is struggling with many problems. This has also affected the workers and 2 of them have been replaced. During the year, several restaurants and wedding halls used to permanently support the sh

: Rasht , Iran – May 2020. It has been more than one month since this dog was seriously injured in a car accident and now it is recovering. Ms. Azadeh Mahjoub, 39 years old, examining a dog in her animal’s rescue shelter. In 2012, she set up a shelter for injured animals (often dogs and cats) in the suburbs of the city of Rasht (Lakan shahr region) in North part of Iran. She is a graduate of accounting and has been an employee of a public university. Azadeh resigned from her job to protect animal rights and started a shelter by selling her wedding gifts (jewelries) alongside her husband’s financial contribution. Currently, 150 dogs and 70 cats are kept in this shelter. The symptoms of these animals include abuse by previous owners, road accidents, digestive and mental health problems. This place is the only shelter in Iran that also keeps dogs with spinal cord injury. In this shelter, there are three female and one male contractor who are covering daily tasks but keeping them around is a hard job due to the hardship of the job and small amount of salary. For such high volume of work, this place needs more than 7 workers at the same time, and due to financial difficulties, they cannot pay their salaries and with only 4 workers, it is very hard to run such place. Iran is an Islamic country and dog is considered as an impure animal. Over time, when hardliners, became aware of the existence of this shelter, Azadeh repeatedly received threatened messages that the site to be set on fire by different individuals. Monthly expenses of this shelter exceed 30 million tomans ($2500) a month, which is usually managed with public donations. Unfortunately, with the outbreak of coronavirus and people’s low income, the volume of public donations has greatly decreased, and the institute is struggling with many problems. This has also affected the workers and 2 of them have been replaced. During the year, several restaurants and wedding halls used to permanently support the sh

: Rasht, Iran – May 2020. Giving the animals their bath, is this shelter daily routine. Some of these animals are given bath every day under the veterinarian’s supervision.

: Rasht, Iran – May 2020. One of this shelter highly praised rituals, is the act of feeding street dogs which is done two to three times a week with the help of animal protection volunteers.

: Rasht, Iran – May 2020. One of this shelter highly praised rituals, is the act of feeding street dogs which is done two to three times a week with the help of animal protection volunteers.

: Rasht, Iran – May 2020 The only well-equipped shelter in the north of Iran is this place measured more than 3000 meters.

: Rasht, Iran – May 2020 The rooms’ floor is covered with these blankets so that the dogs not to lay on a bare floor. Blankets are washed and changed once or twice a day.

: Rasht, Iran – May 2020 The rooms’ floor is covered with these blankets so that the dogs not to lay on a bare floor. Blankets are washed and changed once or twice a day.

: Rasht, Iran – May 2020 The only center for treating quadriplegic dogs in Iran is this place. If the dogs do not receive treatments in less than two days, they will die.

: Rasht, Iran – May 2020 This room belongs to quadriplegic dogs that are taken to the upper room after being fed, in order that the task of cleaning being performed in a less energy-consuming manner.

: Rasht, Iran – May 2020 In the year 2012 when Ms Mahjoub first bought this place, it was only a deserted farm and if it were not for all the efforts and funds she put in and covered, there would not exist such a place today.