Negev Vet clinics founder Dr. Galia Melman Shalev to receive award for Oct. 7 animal rescue efforts

Dr. Galia Melman Shalev, founder of Negev Vet clinics, will receive the World Small Animal Veterinary Association's 2026 Animal Welfare Award for rescuing and treating hundreds of pets after the October 7 massacre. She remained in Moshav Ein HaBesor near the Gaza border, treating animals in burned homes and wounded by gunfire, later establishing an emergency clinic in Eilat.

Dr. Galia Melman Shalev, a veterinarian and founder of Negev Vet clinics, will receive the World Small Animal Veterinary Association's 2026 Animal Welfare Award for her efforts to rescue and treat hundreds of pets following the October 7 massacre. The award recognizes her "unwavering dedication, exceptional performance under combat conditions, leadership and genuine risk to her own life." Shalev was selected following a strong recommendation from the Israeli Companion Animal Veterinary Association. On the morning of October 7, Shalev and her husband, Ziv, were on their way to a cycling training session near Kfar Aza and Nahal Oz when the attack began. Their two children were home alone in their community. The following day, after reuniting with their rescued children, the couple returned to Ein HaBesor with supplies and animal food donated by Vet Market. They encountered animals trapped inside burned homes, wounded by gunfire and shrapnel, and wandering traumatized. Shalev and her husband began searching evacuated communities, providing urgent treatment in the field. When her private clinic became overcrowded, they converted a stable into a temporary emergency shelter. A volunteer network was established, including a Zoom command center set up by Shalev's daughter to recruit foster families. Later, as an evacuee in Eilat, Shalev established an improvised emergency clinic at the Royal Beach Hotel, spending three months providing free treatment to hundreds of pets belonging to evacuees. Nearly three years after October 7, Shalev's clinics are operating again in a new format. She stated the award represents the compassion and commitment of her husband, daughters, and the many volunteers who worked to save animals.