Including Animals in Disaster Relief with Altamush Saeed

We are joined this week by Altamush Saeed for a conversation about the critical disaster relief work he’s spearheading in response to the devastating floods that occurred in Pakistan earlier this year. Altamush updates us on the current status of the floods and the effects this climate disaster has had on both the human and animal populations within the country. The co-founder and director of Charity Doings Foundation, Altamush also shares how he incorporates animals into the organization’s disaster relief work and why it’s crucial for animals to be included in relief work, not only in Pakistan, but around the world. He also tells us why Charity Doings Foundation was started, how they aim to empower distressed local communities, and more about some of their current projects.

*We are thrilled to expand the accessibility of our podcast by offering written transcripts of the interviews! Click here to read Mariann’s interview with Altamush Saeed.*

Altamush Saeed is an in-person LLM in Animal Law Candidate at the Center for Animal Law Studies, Lewis and Clark Law School, and a legislative advocacy Intern at Best Friends Animal Society, USA. He is a lawyer based in Pakistan and is a co-founder/director of Charity Doings Foundation, a non-profit that aims to save all life, be it human, animal, or the environment in Pakistan. He is also an Ambassador for Comprehensive Disaster Response Services, a non-profit that runs Pakistan’s 1st TNVR and biggest animal rescue services.

“The animal welfare movement is also a human welfare problem.” – Altamush Saeed

Highlights for Episode 671: 

• The current status of the floods in Pakistan and how the situation is affecting animals in the region
• Charity Doings Foundation and its goals and vision for the future 
• How caring for animals fits into the broader dynamic of the situation in Pakistan as a developing country
• The two central focuses of Altamush’s disaster care for animals 
• Why Altamush wanted to address both the issues of animalkind and humankind in one organization rather than separately 
• How animals should be incorporated into disaster relief going forward, not only in Pakistan but worldwide 
• Whether large-scale factory farming has found its way to Pakistan 
• How being vegan intersects with the work that Altamush does to protect animals and people living on smallholdings 
• Altamush’s experience studying at Lewis and Clark Law School and how that relates to his work on the ground in Pakistan

Resources:

• The Problem with Letting Therapy-Speak Invade Everything

Connect with Altamush Saeed:

• Charity Doings Foundation on LinkedIn
• Charity Doings Foundation on Facebook
• Charity Doings Foundation on Instagram
• Charity Doings Foundation on Twitter

Connect with Our Hen House:

• Our Hen House Website
• Our Hen House on Facebook
• Our Hen House on Instagram
• Our Hen House on Twitter

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This episode is brought to you in part through the generosity of A Well-Fed World. A Well-Fed World provides the means for change by empowering individuals, social justice organizations, and political decision makers to embrace the benefits of plant-based foods and farming. Learn more at awfw.org.