In a heartfelt and enlightening conversation with Yulia Khouri, the compassionate founder of Animal Mama and Home of Heroes, Humans of Cambodia delved deep into the inspiring journey that has defined her work in Cambodia's vibrant animal welfare landscape.

The Birth of Animal Mama: More Than a Veterinary Clinic

As Yulia shared her story, it became clear that Animal Mama transcends the traditional role of a veterinary clinic. It is a sanctuary, a haven for animals in need, driven by a simple yet profound mission to provide medical care to those lacking support. Yulia's initial inspiration sprang from a personal encounter with a stray cat, sparking a determination to make a difference. Nestled in the heart of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Animal Mama has grown to provide medical care to a diverse range of creatures, from domestic cats and dogs to exotic beings like elephants, tigers, pangolins, lions, bears and many more species. In addition, Animal Mama shelter provided treatment, rehabilitation and adoption support to thousands of stray cat and dogs over the years.

What sets Animal Mama apart is its commitment to providing care to animals regardless of whether they arrive to the clinic with or without the owner – the first priority is in saving the animal in need, not whether the expenses for the animal will be paid. In addition to having a shelter, Animal Mama works with many rescuers, shelters and foster homes to ensure that animals find safe and forever homes after their medical treatment and rehabilitation is complete. Yulia emphasized that the clinic doesn't actively seek donations, but when offered, they are accepted with open hearts. This approach goes beyond medical care; it's about fostering a community that understands the intrinsic value of compassion in transforming the lives of animals in need.

Home of Heroes: A Dignified Retirement for Service Dogs

As the conversation unfolds, Yulia introduces us to her second project, Home of Heroes, a sanctuary for service dogs, who spend their entire lives in service of humanity, clearing the land from the remanence of wars – from mines and other dangerous unexploded ordinance, making it possible for people to live safely and cultivate the land without fear. Yulia's eyes light up as she speaks about the incredible impact these dogs have on people's lives. The initiative is a beacon of hope for service dogs, offering them a dignified retirement, particularly those trained for mine detection as a humanity’s gratitude for their difficult work. Her dream for Home of Heroes is to also train dogs, to serve as companions for individuals in need.

"I wanted to create a self-sustainable model. I don't want to make money out of it; I just want it to run itself and continue helping animals," she expresses. The project faced setbacks, especially during the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic, but now Yulia is continuing to develop the Home of Heroes as the world’s first retirement home for these amazing dogs.

What adds an extra layer of significance of Home of Heroes to Yulia is her personal connection to Ukraine. As a Ukrainian-born Canadian and having actively participated in humanitarian efforts and helping refugees during the recent war, she engaged in training Ukrainian dog handlers to work with demining dogs. It's a poignant full-circle journey that underscores the global interconnectedness of animal-human bond and power that this bond has on welfare of humanity.

Challenges and Triumphs in Animal Advocacy

Yulia shed light on the challenges faced in exposing Cambodia's dog meat trade, initially considered a taboo subject. Undeterred, she led efforts to raise awareness and debunk misinformation surrounding this grim practice. Her firsthand experiences, coupled with collaborative work alongside individuals like Dr. Lucy and Lee Fox Smith, lent credibility to her mission. She was the first to expose this practice in Cambodia, but publicly speaking out and publishing several articles in the leading newspapers about the issue.

Yet, the journey wasn't without its hurdles. Yulia candidly shared instances of encountering individuals who exploited animal suffering for personal gain, pointing to cases of fraudulent activities by supposed animal activists. She stressed the need for genuine efforts in the realm of animal welfare, for collaborative efforts among animal welfare agencies and also, highlighting how the situation in Cambodia differed from other regions, dog meat not being an inherently cultural phenomena unlike in other countries.

Empowering the Community: A Collaborative Approach to Animal Welfare

Our discussion delved into Animal Mama's innovative community-centric model. Yulia’s Rabies Free Cambodia, started in 2016 has seen nearly 70,000 community, pagoda and street animals vaccinated against this deadly virus, which kills over 1000 people a year in Cambodia, 80% of which are children. This animal-centric public health effort gained international recognition for Animal Mama and the prestigious Award from Global Alliance for Rabies Control in 2020.

Yulia also highlighted the importance of collaboration with the community, where individuals actively participate in ensuring the well-being of animals. The clinic encourages not only financial support but also active involvement in the animal's journey to recovery. Animal Mama's approach involves providing free care for rescued homeless animals, while engaging the person who brings the animal in. This collaboration extends to finding foster homes, advertising for adoption, and even fundraising initiatives. Yulia stressed that this collaborative model has proven successful, considering the overwhelming task of animal welfare in Cambodia.

Future Aspirations: Growing Specializations and Sustainable Programs

Looking ahead, Yulia shared her aspirations for Animal Mama's future growth in terms of veterinary medicine specializations and expertise. She also envisions transitioning from the current shelter, operated by the clinic, to instead providing greater support to the existing shelters run by local and foreign individual and entities. This strategic shift aims to maximize resources and focus on providing free care to animals in need.

In the realm of Home of Heroes, Yulia hopes to establish a sustainable model while expanding programs like the "Guardians of Heroes." This initiative allows individuals to adopt ex-service dogs as pets, with Animal Mama covering their veterinary bills for the rest of their lives. The goal is to ensure these heroes enjoy a comfortable retirement in loving homes.

A Heartfelt Message and Call to Action

As our conversation drew to a close, Yulia shared a poignant message with our readers. She emphasized the intertwined nature of passion and patience in any endeavour, urging individuals to cultivate patience alongside their passions, recognizing that lasting change takes time.

In her closing words, Yulia appealed to our sense of interconnectedness. No matter how seemingly insignificant, every act of kindness towards animals contributes to our collective survival. Drawing on the analogy of a butterfly's wing causing a global ripple, she encouraged readers to care for the beings around them, fostering a better world through simple acts of compassion.

Yulia Khouri's journey stands as a testament to the transformative power of compassion and collaboration. Through Animal Mama and Home of Heroes, she continues to shape a future where animals receive the care and respect, they deserve, one small act at a time and with that, people’s health and wellbeing is also positively impacted. Her unwavering commitment is an inspiration for us all, urging us to be the change we wish to see in the world.