Palestinian man establishes first hotel for pets in West Bank

George Ghattas, a Palestinian man from the West Bank, has established the first-ever hotel for pets in the region.

The 44-year-old father of two came up with the idea after he found out that some pets were abandoned and thrown into the streets when their owners needed to travel.

"It is painful to abandon your pets when you cannot take them on a journey with you," Ghattas said.

To change that, Ghattas built a hotel for pets on an area of 1,000 square meters. In the proximity of the hotel, there is a small building covering an area of 200 square meters that serves as pets' shelter.

The hotel has 15 rooms, 11 for dogs and four for cats, and a large hall where Ghattas teaches owners how to train their pets.

In addition, the pet hotel contains facilities for playing and amusement, as well as stocks of food, special equipment and high-quality products.

In a bid to attract clients, Ghattas offers reasonable prices, with charges per night not exceeding an equivalent of 20 US dollars.

The hotel has so far received animals from all governorates of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. It is worth noting that Palestinians from inside Israel can also benefit from Ghattas' services.

"They are living creatures that have the right to live comfortably," Ghattas said as he was trimming the hair of a dog ahead of showering.

Hiba Hamad, a Palestinian client from Ramallah city, praised the idea of establishing a hotel for pets in the West Bank.

"It is a wonderful project because we, as dog keepers, find it challenging to find a safe place for our dogs when traveling or getting busy," she explained.

The 38-year-old doctor has two dogs, but she is worried about leaving them alone when going out for work.

In the past, Hamad had to sell her pets when traveling outside the country because she could not find a safe place for them. She sometimes turned to her friends for help, but that was only a matter of expediency.

Yazid Dar Ali, a Palestinian young man who works in an industrial company in Ramallah, expressed his appreciation of the hotel's opening.

Wearing a smile, Ali told Xinhua that the hotel is the most suitable place to lodge his dog.

"The hotel provides professional services for our pets, such as food, drink, medical care, and a haircut on a regular basis," he said.