Shining World Compassion Award Recipient: Dr. Amir Khalil - Saving Animal-people from Conflict Zones

Dr. Amir Khalil, a wildlife veterinarian, and head of missions at animal-people welfare organization, Four Paws International, headquartered in Austria, has devoted his life to saving animal-people in such situations. For more than 25 years, Dr. Khalil has led animal-people rescue operations during crises, including hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, fires, and war zones; and also created sanctuaries around the world, providing food, medical treatment, rehabilitation, loving care, and a new life to thousands of the quickly forgotten victims from the animal kingdom.

“I am not afraid, to be honest, because bad things can happen or accidents can happen even in Vienna, where I am living, or in the United States. So bad things can happen everywhere. But I believe in my work, and I believe also, when we do good things, it will come back to us. And when our intention is to do, to rescue, and we have the prayers of thousands of people, who pray to us to help the animals, I should not have fear. I believe in God.”

Deeply touched by his selfless and heroic deeds, Supreme Master Ching Hai bestowed the Shining World Compassion Award to Dr. Khalil, plus a humble contribution of US $20,000 to Fours Paw-International, in loving support. “This Award is presented in recognition of your courageous, heroic acts of love, risking your own life to enter dangerous areas to save neglected citizens of the animal kingdom. Your exemplary acts of nobility are testament of the saintly souls born to uplift humanity. Thank you, Doctor, you are a modern-day hero sent on sacred pilgrimages to save innocent souls, our precious friends from the animal kingdom. For selfless altruism, sacrificing just for the animal-individuals, for exceptional negotiating skills, and for your wisdom to unite all sides with a common, noble goal, we hereby applaud and celebrate the great compassionate deeds of Dr. Amir Khalil.”

“I want to thank the Supreme Master Ching Hai for this trust and for this great, great, great award. It is not only the money and the award, it means so much for me as a person, and I also want to say that this will give me a lot of motivation to do more work in the future, to rescue more animals, and to be the voice for the voiceless animals in conflict zones and war zones.”