PIN stands for "Pets in Need" which can be seen from two perspectives; people who are in need and looking for a beloved companion animal, and the animals themselves that are in need of our help. PIN was founded in 2008, which was the first animal awareness group in Jeddah started by Sonja Svensek, a German / Italian national, born and raised in Jeddah. As many animal lovers, she felt helpless not knowing where to turn to, or where to go to get help with all the unwanted, neglected and abused animals she came across. From the abandoned pets on the streets and those left behind at vet clincs, to the the horrendous keeping conditions of animals at pet shops, she knew animal welfare was a topic that needed a strong focus in the Kingdom. She comes from a family of animal lovers and they were always rescuing animals found on the streets or dumped at their compound. They started off with one dog, who showed up at their door step one day, and from then onwards, they kept rescuing more and more animals. The numbers grew rapidly, and to this date, Sonja and her family, along with their team are looking after 120 + dogs out of their own expense, time and love they have for animals. In the eyes of the PIN's founder, Sonja sees her father as her hero; a compassionate and caring role model which spurred her to think of ways where others could get involved and help animals here too. Whilst they were in the process of saving more animals, Sonja was motivated to form PIN, which started online as a Facebook group. She and a friend of hers, were running around Jeddah trying to inform as many people as possible about the unwanted homeless animals and urge fostering and adoption. Most of these animals were either dumped on the streets, or left at various veterinary clinics. Back then, many people were not aware of what 'adoption' meant as many people were used to selling / buying their pets often from back door operations, animal 'souks' and/or pet shops.
PIN group steadily grew with more and more members joining, wanting to help in whichever way they could. This started a movement of informing people that we should adopt, and not shop for a pet. People started to re-home their pets through adoption, instead of selling them off or abandoning them. The community slowly started to understand the importance of neutering and spaying their animals and finding productive ways to help spread animal awareness. Initially the group was a 'one man's show' with only a handful of members, where Sonja was relied on to find homes for pets and to keep everyone updated as well as educated on animal welfare. Now PIN has grown to the point where people interact with each other and play an important part in being productive towards helping animals. PIN is what it is today because of all the help, effort, time and compassion offered by its like-minded, big hearted members. It wouldn't exist if it didn't have active supportive members like it does today. Since PIN started, there have been a number of addtional groups and animal shelters which have slowly but steadily grown over the years.
Though at PIN we strive to get like-minded people on board, it does not mean you need to be a pet owner; on the contrary, many people who don’t own a pet are still very much concerned about the way animals are treated and the abuse that they are subjected to under different circumstances.
Pet stores and certain Veterinary clinics (run and managed by individuals who are usually not present to ensure and adhere to strict regulations and policies), are places that we too often witness animals being kept in terrible conditions. Many cats cramped in a small space, dogs placed in small wired-floor cages and water not always being present, are some of the many complaints Sonja received from those who have observed the ill-treatment of animals in such places.
Apart from the abused animals that are kept in pet shops in the city, there has also been an increase of abandoned pets which are either left to fend for themselves on the streets, or left at Veterinary clinics without the interest of wanting to take them back. At least once in your life, you would have come across such an animal in your neighborhood, compound, or at a pet shop, clinic, or perhaps seen an animal being abused by someone you know, and you wish you could have done something about it. You can!
Unfortunately since there aren’t any laws that monitor the pet shops in the country or the privately owned veterinary clinics, nor the selling of animals, WE are the ones who can stand up and make a change. The Ministry of Agriculture is now starting to take note of animal rights and with our help, can bring justice to the animals who have suffered by the hands of the people in the society. Please always report any animal abuse by calling this number: 800 247 0000.
Many members of PIN are active in their cause-and they frequently check pet shops to visit the animals and ensure water is available at all times, that food is given and to encourage the animal to be taken out of the cage to exercise and play with. Volunteers help feed stray cats and get involved in Trap-neuter-release programs. PIN members share their own rescue stories and spread the word to help connect an unwanted to pet with a caring family memer willing to adopt. WE are the change that the community would benefit from by spreading the information to make people aware that abusing an animal is not correct-from ANY perspective. If you wish to see changes, then YOU need to be part of that change and not expect someone else to fix it.
Since there are far too many unwanted animals (usually the result of owners realizing the hard work and costs the pet can incur) or because they are not spaying/neutering their pet where more and more are bred and born, or they have outgrown their size and cuteness, or because the animal has suffered so much that they have no use for them any longer, those who can help should offer these animals a new lease on life and give them a new loving home. PIN believes in ADOPTION and NOT in selling animals. Usually by selling a pet, which is sadly too often seen as an object or possession, would be sold at a costly price and to the highest bidder. Adoption with a proper screening process, ensures the animals best interest is in mind first and foremost.
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These animals cannot speak for themselves. They cannot tell you the excruciating conditions they were put through or how they were unable to swallow food because their owner kept their collar so tight-or beat them into submission where they lived a life full of pain. There are also so many of them due to constant breeding and having more litters that owners are not being responsible by neutering them. These animals are relying on you-the well informed individual who can speak out for them-who can make a difference in trying to educate those who might not know any better and to help save the animal that lies at your mercy.
PIN is not a business, nor a profit based organization and should NOT be used as a platform for selling your pets. It is also not an independent animal shelter as such. Our mission is to simply spread the voice of ethical treatment towards animals and to help re-home the animals that desperately need another chance.
By being a member of PIN you represent the movement of animal care and awareness. This group is as much yours as it is the founders or someone else's. The cause is ONE. PIN works closely with other philanthropic organizations to help neuter cats off the streets to try and minimize the ever increasing amount of stray cats, as well as trying to help inform and support individuals on caring for a pet. We are also in contact with various Veterinary clinics in Jeddah who inform us of the animals that need to be adopted.
We encourage all PIN members to neuter and spay their pet. By being a responsible pet owner you will ensure that if your pet is re-homed, you ask the right questions and make sure they go to a good home. PIN is not responsible for members decisions or lack there of. You can post pictures of the animal in need and all members do their best to spread the word and ensure that each animal will be housed with caring and loving owners who could offer them a better home, instead of resorting to abandoning them on the streets, killed or euthanized.
By increasing people's awareness of the suffering these animals go through as well as the reality of the situation at hand (the epidemic of street cats for example), we would hopefully enable the decrease of pet shops importing more and more pets that keep them in terrible conditions, encourage the implementation of regulations in all pets shops and increase the adoption process of animals that are already in desperate need of care and a new home, as well as the importance of controlling the number of unwanted pets by neutering / spaying through TNR programs (Trap/Neuter/release).
PIN is not a business, nor a profit based organization and should NOT be used as a platform for selling your pets. It is also not an independent animal shelter as such. Our mission is to simply spread the voice of ethical treatment towards animals and to help re-home the animals that desperately need another chance.
By being a member of PIN you represent the movement of animal care and awareness. This group is as much yours as it is the founders or someone else's. The cause is ONE. PIN works closely with other philanthropic organizations to help neuter cats off the streets to try and minimize the ever increasing amount of stray cats, as well as trying to help inform and support individuals on caring for a pet. We are also in contact with various Veterinary clinics in Jeddah who inform us of the animals that need to be adopted.
We encourage all PIN members to neuter and spay their pet. By being a responsible pet owner you will ensure that if your pet is re-homed, you ask the right questions and make sure they go to a good home. PIN is not responsible for members decisions or lack there of. You can post pictures of the animal in need and all members do their best to spread the word and ensure that each animal will be housed with caring and loving owners who could offer them a better home, instead of resorting to abandoning them on the streets, killed or euthanized.
By increasing people's awareness of the suffering these animals go through as well as the reality of the situation at hand (the epidemic of street cats for example), we would hopefully enable the decrease of pet shops importing more and more pets that keep them in terrible conditions, encourage the implementation of regulations in all pets shops and increase the adoption process of animals that are already in desperate need of care and a new home, as well as the importance of controlling the number of unwanted pets by neutering / spaying through TNR programs (Trap/Neuter/release).
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