London, April 15, 2025 – The animal shelter of Palestinian Maryam Barq, known as “The Cat Lady of Gaza”, was bombed on Sunday evening. During the attack, Maryam’s family had to take cover as bullets tore through walls and ceilings and explosives rained down on their home.
Maryam had made a deliberate decision to stay in the war zone to care for 65 rescued and disabled cats. In the chaos, she managed to flee with five cats to a slightly safer location. Her father remained behind to protect the others, fearing the plane might return. The situation is critical.
Thanks to the support of aid organisation Animal Heroes, Maryam has managed to continue feeding the cats since the beginning of the war by purchasing local food. Prices have been affordable for a long time, but with two shipments of food and medicine offered by the Animals in Gaza Alliance – a collaboration between Safe Haven for Donkeys, Animal Heroes and Animal Aid without Borders – stuck at the Egyptian border for months, this is the only way to keep the animals alive.
Two days before the bombing, Maryam sent a deeply alarming message:
“I’m not afraid for myself. My only fear is that the army will attack the house and burn it down – together with the cats – because the army has started a new strategy: to burn everything they come across – humans, animals, or trees. That’s why I’m so worried about my cats. I can’t imagine them dying from fire or bombings.”
Esther Kef, founder of Animal Heroes, expresses grave concern:
“Maryam is a young woman who can barely walk due to severe muscle loss caused by malnutrition. She has been dizzy for months and has developed kidney problems. She has been surviving on bread and lentils for more than a year– and even the bread has completely run out. We cannot even begin to imagine what it’s like to live like this. This is the second time she has physically been attacked by an airstrike. She survived both attacks, at the same time we are watching helplessly as a brave, selfless young animal rescuer is slowly dying of famine.”
