Sanctuary for furry friends

Rengin Maklai has opened her heart and her home to the kingdom’s strays with the aim of nourishing them back to life and helping them find forever homes.

The mother-of-two, who spent 16 years working in the Turkish Embassy, is dedicating her time to help manage the stray situation in Bahrain by nurturing as many felines and canines as possible.

“Pets are often discarded when their owners don’t want them anymore,” Rengin explained. “Who will look after them, let alone the strays? When they’re babies, everyone loves them, but when they get older, excuses start.

“Looking after an animal is a life-long commitment. I am not a shelter or a veterinary clinic. I am an individual doing my best.”

Her home is overrun with 26 cats, of which 25 were picked up off the streets, and four dogs, of which three are rescues. In addition to this, she also feeds 15 to 20 stray cats outside her property.

“My family loves animals as much as I do,” Rengin said. “And by the way, I’m not alone in that! There are lots of animal lovers in Bahrain. For example, a couple of my dear friends are doing a wonderful job in taking care of rescues as well such as Duaa Al Alawi, who has 29 cats.”

All her animals have been either neutered or spayed as well as vaccinated and she often tries to do the same for the strays too.

According to various shelters and clinics, spaying and neutering can help control the overpopulation of homeless pets in Bahrain.

Rengin’s husband Yaqub, a Bahraini contractor, believes in her mission and supported her big-hearted endeavour by revamping their guest house seven years ago into a sanctuary for her fur family.

The guest house, which has been dubbed the Cat House, features three bedrooms, two living rooms, a netted patio area for fresh air and two larger rooms that have been converted into catteries.

Living in the Cat House are two dogs and 14 cats, some which are healthy and others which need attention. Rengin has two care-givers assisting her with the special cases.

The house is partitioned to support each animals’ needs. One room is for dogs, one is used for healthy cats, two rooms are for cats undergoing long-term medical treatment and one room is for six cats with Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), which is a deadly disease.

The virus, which cannot be transferred to humans, acts in the same way as HIV – destroying the immune system and leaving a cat susceptible to infections and disease. FIV is spread mostly through bite wounds inflicted while fighting with other cats but can also be transmitted by a mother cat to her kittens across the placenta or through her milk. Outdoor cats are at the highest risk of disease, especially if they fight with other cats.

“When I see an animal in need, there is no question about it,” she explained. “I am there to help! First, I take them to the vet to see if they have any health issues then I foster them until they can be up for adoption.

“While I have managed to get dozens of cats and dogs adopted, the reality is that nobody wants strays so I end up keeping them.”

Rengin believes that one of the biggest issues in Bahrain when it comes to the handling of strays is cruelty and that the way to mend this is through education and awareness.

“There are many animals in Bahrain that have been tortured,” she said. “Dog poisonings were very common from January to March. These creatures depend on our humanity. There are lots of problems in the world, so not everyone can do everything.

“I feel responsible for animals because they can’t speak for themselves. I can respect people who don’t like animals, but I cannot and will not respect people who act maliciously towards them. What we need is to educate them on how to properly treat animals and through that the love will come.”

Rengin also believes that pet abandonment is a major issue and that it can be solved through a registry system.

“Just as people register for residency, animals should be registered too,” Rengin explained. “Their existence should be proven. Are they alive, dead – what happened to them? This eliminates the problem of people buying pets then dumping them. Careless pet owners have to be held accountable.”

While she says that the most difficult part about looking after all these animals is how time-consuming and tiring it can be, Rengin also adds that the most fulfilling part about getting a rescued animal adopted into a caring home is knowing that they have brighter days ahead. Most adopters keep in touch with her, even if they leave the island.

She added: “If I feel a potential adopter is unfit to take care of the animal, I do not give them up. I have to be 100 per cent certain. When these animals are safe, that makes it worth the exhaustion. This is what true happiness feels like. There is not one day where I regret accepting the responsibility that I have taken in being their spokesperson and sanctuary.”

Aside from managing her own little zoo, she has been aiding organisations across the kingdom.

Two years ago, Rengin and her friend Colleen Hegarty, who is a Harvard University student, started rescuing cats and dogs from Arman Zoo to find homes for them in the US. They rescued a total of 26 cats and 30 dogs, all of which have been homed in Bahrain and the US.

Rengin also works with Emtinan Zidany, the founder of Precious Paws Bahrain which addresses the needs of homeless and rescued animals as well as providing both local and international adoption opportunities for strays in Bahrain such as sending dogs abroad.

She also volunteers at Tony the Dogfather Animal Rescue & Rehabilitation Centre as well as helping animals at the BSPCA.

If anyone is interested in fostering or adopting one of the animals, follow her on Instagram @tidler8358