Operation 9 Lives: Two C. Oregonians seek to rescue 9 cats from quake-ravaged Syria

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Brandon Kone and Elijah Mondry, two Central Oregonians who were in Turkey when a massive earthquake ravaged that country and neighboring Syria last month, have formed a group, Operation 9 Lives, with a goal of rescuing nine Syrian cats.

Here's a statement they provided to us:

Operation 9 Lives was inspired by our recent trip to Turkiye, where we experienced first hand the devastating impacts of one of the most deadly sets of earthquakes in a century.

From fleeing an ancient monastery during the second quake to driving through flattened city scapes, we knew we had to do something. In the days that followed we realized Syria once again was being left in the dark in regards to global relief effort. Along with the millions of human lives affected by these tragic events, there are many animals that also need our help.

We are both animal lovers and felt that, with so many people and organizations helping out human victims, we would focus on the animals. After searching, we decided to partner with Animals Syria and CatConnect to rescue a batch of cats from Syrian sanctuaries.

Our aim is also to help bring attention to the ongoing conflicts and natural disasters affecting Syria. At a time when the headlines are full of Ukrainian war stories, we can't lose sight of the forgotten around the world. Operation 9 Lives hopes to find homes for 9 Syrian cats that will be escorted from the Syrian/ Lebanese border into Beirut and flown out to the United States. In addition, we are hoping to raise additional money to be sent back to animal sanctuaries in Syria.

This operation will be taking place in September and we are aiming to find a way to get more exposure to the public to help recruit potential adopters, and funding. The long-term goal is to have Operation 9 Lives become the seed for many more rescues around the world in conflict and disaster zones by partnering with non-profits that have dedicated their time and efforts to saving the voiceless and giving them a new chance.

We hope to successfully add nine more cats to the list of thousands of animals adopted out of CatConnect and Animals Syria and we hope you can help us do it.