Pets left behind by residents of Loikaw who fled the Karenni State capital after fighting for control of it broke out last month are relying on volunteers to feed them and keep them alive.
The volunteers, however, say there is only so much they can do because some of Loikaw’s 13 wards are too dangerous to enter, and they may themselves eventually have to follow the lead of those who fled.
Ko Myat and his wife began feeding dogs and cats in vacated homes in Loikaw in the middle of last month, after dogs began showing up in front of their home.
“When we were preparing to feed our [five] dogs, other dogs in the ward arrived in front of our home. We pitied them … I and my wife [now] feed cats and dogs in other wards every day,” Ko Myat explained.
He and his wife, Ma Thu, say they have stayed in their home because their neighborhood, Nant Paw Wan ward, is relatively peaceful because it is a bit far from the fighting.
Clashes erupted in Loikaw when allied resistance fighters launched what they call Operation 1111 on Nov. 11. They began by attacking outposts of the junta’s military in eastern Karenni (Kayah) and southern Shan states, as well as Loikaw.
Thousands of residents of Loikaw fled their homes amid shelling and airstrikes by junta troops. Some residents took their pets, but others left them in their homes.
Ko Myat and Ma Thu told The Irrawaddy that they feed about 30 dogs and cats a day in four wards. As news that they were feeding pets left behind spread online, the couple received requests from former residents to feed their pets. In some cases, however, they cannot do so because the pets are in wards that have turned into battlegrounds.
At first, Ko Myat and Ma Thu spent their own money to buy pet food – chicken, fish and rice – but well-wishers soon began donating money.
Some wards – including Daw- ukhu, Naung Yar, Nar Nat Taw, Mhaine Lon and Nant Kwat – remain off limits due to the intensity of the fighting between resistance forces and junta troops.
Ko Myat and Ma Thu sometimes have to turn back before entering some wards.
“The sound of gunshots made us run back yesterday,” Ma Thu told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday.
Another volunteer, Ko Wai Gyi, told The Irrawaddy that some cats and dogs are trapped in empty homes and are gaunt from lack of food.
He and his wife started feeding cats and dogs on November 19 and now feed about 40 in Daw Dama, Nant Paw Wan, Pyi Thar Yar and Mingalar wards.
Ko Wai Gyi said they dare not venture into some wards where people asked them to feed their pets, adding: “I don’t think [those] pets there are in good condition.”
When asked how long he and his wife would be able to keep feeding pets, Ko Wai Gyi said he was unsure. He and his wife may also have to flee is the fighting gets worse, he explained.
“We will continue feeding them as long as we are in Loikaw,” he added.
