Organised by Project Rifq, in collaboration with The Secret Garden by Thalia Mermaids, the thrifting event supports rescued animals while encouraging adoption and fostering in the community.
The programme will run from 4pm to 9pm and feature new vendors and artists, offering visitors a fun time for a good cause.
“Spurred on by the turnout at our past events, we are excited to organise more,” Project Rifq founder Alhanoof Albinali told GulfWeekly.
“We’re going to have our thrift sales, which feature all the items that people donated – they are a steal! That way we’re able to raise funds through our thrift shop Rifq Thrift.
“We’ll be having many local vendors, from pet stores to vets, as well as artists who will be attending. And lastly, the pets themselves will be there for everyone to interact with. All proceeds from sales will be used for the animals,” she added.
Presently, the platform dedicated to rescuing and supporting animals is taking care of six dogs and 13 cats, many of whom are undergoing the ‘healing process’ so they can be ready for adoption.
“Our rescue cats’ immune systems are very weak. Just when we think they are healed, they fall sick again. It has been a constant process. They need individual care so if people can open their hearts and foster them, it will be helpful,” she noted.
Alhanoof, who is an entrepreneur and a clinical dietician by profession, highlighted the food and vet bills will be covered.
She pointed out how trying to find ‘furever’ homes has been stressful for the team, nodding to the communal nature of the project.
“People see Project Rifq and think it’s all positive and sunshine but they have no idea what happens behind the scenes. Sometimes the sad state of these animals creeps up on you. Having worked in healthcare as an inpatient dietician, mainly with ICU and elderly patients, I can switch off and not get emotions involved as it will hinder my progress but sometimes, it gets to you,” she explained.
Despite the hurdles, the volunteers have a success story since their last event at Hilton Bahrain in Juffair, which brought together animal lovers across the kingdom for an evening of coffee, pet-themed bites and educational talks about pet care.
“We have two of our cats that have been nursed back to health. Their immune systems are better. Fred recently got adopted, which is great news. And the other one, Penelope, is super friendly. I’m really pushing for her to be adopted first while the others heal,” she said.
Alhanoof also talked about a pair of sibling dogs that are inseparable.
“They will need to be adopted together or we will need to work on gradually weaning them from each other,” she added.
Since officially launching in March this year, Project Rifq has already been involved in several major rescue operations, including 18 cats that were discovered abandoned at a site in Gudaibiya and another case where six puppies and two adult dogs were saved.
The current lot is being fostered by kind hearts from the community but the team is open to more people who can ease the load. “Everyone can rescue and if you can’t, you can transport the animals to the vets, donate, or support your local vets, support your local rescue groups, like everyone can do something,” Alhanoof remarked.
For more information, follow @project.rifq on Instagram.
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