IMPACT: Snoonu pledges QAR 100,000 gift, future sponsorships to QAWS following Doha News report on possible closure

The Qatar-founded tech and “super-app” company stepped in after its founder, Hamad Al-Hajri, commented on Doha News’ report detailing the challenges facing QAWS, pledging to cover the organisation’s outstanding bills and support its work going forward.A Doha News report, published on Sunday, on the possible closure of Qatar Animal Welfare Society [QAWS] has prompted a QAR 100,000 gift and commitment to future sponsorship from Snoonu.The Qatar-founded tech and “super-app” company stepped in after its founder, Hamad Al-Hajri, commented on Doha News’ report detailing the challenges facing QAWS, pledging to cover the welfare society’s outstanding bills and support its work going forward.The development comes after QAWS publicly raised the alarm over its future in a Facebook statement posted on Saturday, warning that mounting bills and longstanding registration challenges could bring more than two decades of animal work in Qatar to an end.The society said it owed more than QAR 45,000 in veterinary bills and QAR 8,000 for farm animal feed, including QAR 700 for cat litter, QAR 3,500 for dog food and QAR 5,600 for diesel, all of which the society says will be due again within seven days.Al-Hajri commented directly under the Doha News’ Instagram post that detailed the challenges facing QAWS. “You’re not alone,” he wrote. “Snoonu will cover all your outstanding bills so you can continue caring for the animals who depend on you.”Snoonu has since committed QAR 100,000 towards QAWS, alongside future sponsorship aimed at supporting the organisation and its work. In a post on Instagram on Monday, Al-Hajri wrote, “Today, we want her to know that her [QAWS co-founder Janet Berry] kindness is seen, her work matters, and she is not alone and we will support her initiative with 100k qr and sponsor any new initiatives she have.”“We are incredibly grateful to Doha News for recognising the plight of QAWS and shining a light on the challenges we are facing,” QAWS co-founder Janet Berry said. “The response from the community has been truly overwhelming. We have never doubted the compassion and generosity of our community and supporters, but the incredible outpouring of support has been deeply humbling.”“A huge thank you to Snoonu, Mr. Hamad Al-Hajri, for their amazing support, commitment and dedication to helping further the work of the society. Partnerships like this make such a meaningful difference and help us continue our mission of caring for animals in need,” she added.Long-term challengesThe QAR 100,000 contribution and future sponsorships address some of the immediate financial pressure facing QAWS as it continues its efforts to secure a sustainable legal and operational framework for its work.Speaking to Doha News prior to Snoonu’s intervention, Berry said operating without legal registration had become unsustainable after 22 years of attempts to establish a non-profit society dedicated to animal rescue and welfare in Qatar.QAWS says it has previously completed environmental studies, held meetings, developed an organisational framework, assembled a board of Qatari directors and submitted applications as part of its efforts to formalise its operations. “We still have a long way to go, but we are not giving up. With the incredible support we have received, we remain hopeful that we can achieve registration and secure a sustainable future for QAWS,” Berry said.“We are immensely grateful to everyone who has stood beside us and shown that, together, our community can make a real difference.”