In a 2,500-square-meter shelter, Annie Orfalian, 45, cares for more than 3,500 dogs she rescued from the streets, providing them with food, shelter and love.

As a child, Orfalian would watch her parents caring for stray dogs, rescuing them from the street and taking them to farms. As an adult, she vowed to continue her parents' legacy.

"When I grew up, I started taking dogs to rented farms. Finally I rented this land, built it, and moved them here. I also brought other (dogs) here," she said.

She sold her own house and invested all her savings, around 250 million Syrian liras, to build the shelter on rented land.

She spends her days feeding, castrating and providing medical care for the dogs. But as the coronavirus pandemic gripped the country, the animal activist said she faced a number of challenges getting the necessary material for the animals.

"We do not have extra money. This shelter is operating by the grace of God. There are no people who can afford to donate to the shelter," she said.

(Reuters)