Our top projects
Baladi
Palestine Animal Rescue Team
Alongside Baladi Palestine Animal Rescue Team, Vegan in Palestine operates an animal rescue network. Our network has rescued over 100 animals since our inception in 2020. We rely on ourselves to work together to coordinate rescue efforts for sick, injured, and vulnerable street cats and dogs in Palestine. Our vegan philosophy ensures that each animal that enters our system, is not only healed to its fullest capacity, but guaranteed to live its best possible life. We spay/neuter and vaccinate every animal and have a thorough adoption application process.
Additionally, we provide funds for local animal rescuers who want to rescue animal but cannot afford to do so. We have paid for dozens surgeries and vaccinations for Palestinian animals.
On a typical day outside of caring and rescuing for the animals, we field dozens of messages in our social media inboxes from locals about how to care for street cats and dogs in Palestine as well as coordinating veterinary appointments for people new to rescuing animals.
The vast majority of the operations of Baladi - Palestine Animal Rescue team is funded through our personal funds. With our collaborative team work and commitment to animal welfare and liberation, there has never been a case that we did not take on due funds.
Dog Shelter - With Baladi
In late 2022, a dog gave birth in the shed of one of Baladi - Palestine Animal Rescue Team’s rescuers. The puppies quickly outgrew the space. While some of the puppies were adopted out, four dogs remained without a home and grew more attached together. The efforts became more difficult as Baladi - Palestine Animal Rescue Team did not want to separate the siblings. Thus, our dream to build a dog sanctuary in Palestine was finally actualized. The current dog sanctuary shelters the original four resident dogs, but also other dogs that have entered our rescue system and get adopted out. The sanctuary has increased the capacity of Baladi - Palestine Animal Rescue Team to take on more rescue calls and missions as well as stand as a model for local municipalities and organizations on how to adequately provide a shelter and space for rescue dogs in Palestine.
The shelter was paid for by a modest crowdfunding effort. The crowdfunding also covered the salary of a vet student’s daily visits to the dogs to feed, play, and clean after the dogs. However, the food and medication of the dogs is paid for by the Baladi - Palestine Animal Rescue Team rescuer’s personal funds. Our 1 year goal is to establish another dog or cat sanctuary in Palestine for our ever growing number of animal rescues.
Vegan Events
As Palestinian animal rescuers and liberationists, we must include vegan advocacy in our work. We hold monthly vegan events that recreate traditional and neo-traditional Palestinian foods into identical vegan versions. By having a certified vegan chef on our team, Ahlam Tarayra, has wow’d Palestinian vegans, almost-vegans, and non-vegans alike.
Some of the dishes she has created included vegan shishbarak, vegan shawarma, and vegan Alfredo. Since 2023, all of our events have sold out tickets and we have created a large demand for cruelty free Palestinian cuisine. We are committed to providing the Palestinian market with frequent and diverse events to meet the local demand as well as expand the market through our vegan outreach in order to continue saving animal lives, directly and indirectly.
Our vegan events also serve as a physical space in Palestine to build a vegan Palestinian community and discuss and explore vegan philosophy.
Outreach
Vegan in Palestine and Baladi - Palestine Animal Rescue Team have been known to create national conversations that not only criticize the way the local society treats animals, but also provide solutions to animal cruelty in a way that is culturally sensitive and compatible with the local religions. Additionally to our social media outreach, we also hold virtual and in-person teach-ins about veganism and its history, cultural, political, and religious compatibility, and its connection to a more compassionate, peaceful, and just world. We have also held teach-ins about how to rescue animals and best-practices surrounding the process.
Vegan Foodbank
The Vegan Food Bank project started as a way to provide cruelty free food to Palestinians living with food insecurity. The Vegan Food Bank challenges society’s notions that “religious sacrifice” must include a dead animal. In our Vegan Food Bank project also exemplifies the compatibility of Palestinian cuisine with a vegan diet with the inclusion of vegan culinary staples such as olive oil, tahini, seeds, nuts, molasses, zaatar, spices, beans, lentils, halawa, freekeh, bulgar, rice, and fruits and vegetables.
Vegan Mapping
Vegan in Palestine has been building an online hub to encompass vegan options in Palestinian shops, restaurants, and organizations. This project has helped countless locals, visitors, and tourists find vegan friendly restaurants and activities.
Corporate and Government Consultancies
As the only vegan organization in Palestine, we have provided consultancies to local corporations and restaurants seeking to offer more or transform vegan options to their consumers. We have helped local corporations launch accessible meat substitutes all around Palestine as well as provide restaurants with vegan cooking tips and tricks. Additionally, we have provided local municipalities with guides, connections, and ideas on how to ensure better protection and rights of local cats and dogs in Palestine. As the only vegan organization in Palestine, we have provided consultancies to local corporations and restaurants seeking to offer more or transform vegan options to their consumers. We have helped local corporations launch accessible meat substitutes all around Palestine as well as provide restaurants with vegan cooking tips and tricks. Additionally, we have provided local municipalities with guides, connections, and ideas on how to ensure better protection and rights of local cats and dogs in Palestine.