Mohammad Alaa Jaleel was an ambulance driver who decided to bring a little hope to Aleppo, Syria by starting a cat sanctuary to protect the poor strays that roamed the dangerous grounds. Many people fled the city of Aleppo due to bombings, and lost in the choas were many of the pets left behind by the people who had escaped.

The sanctuary was known as the House of Cats Ernesto, named after Alaa's own pet cat, and eventually housed as many as 100 cats. There was even a garden and a playground for children who came to play with the cats to forget about the wreckage around them. The sanctuary quickly became a huge refuge not only for hundreds of cats, but also for the local children looking for an escape from reality. It wasn't long before the animal sanctuary became internationally celebrated, and was hailed as a place of peace and possibility in the war-torn city.

Unfortunately, bombings soon struck the sanctuary, reducing the place to rubble. Along with the havoc came a feeling of helplessness and hopelessness. Alaa stayed until the last moments, but eventually fled with his family to Turkey.

Although his sanctuary had sadly been destroyed, Alaa was not somebody who was prone to give up easily. He was already making plans to return to his city and start all over again-which is exactly what he did, accompanied by a new cat named Feras (Ernesto's new friend) and a new dog, named Hope, in memory of the dog who perished in the bombing. Sadly, the old site of the sanctuary was damaged beyond repair, and only 10 cats had made it out alive to see the new sanctuary, but Alaa did not let this discourage him.

There is new life all around Aleppo, and Alaa has found a wonderful space to begin anew, which cats have already begun populating, now called Ernesto Paradise. Recently, the new sanctuary hosted a birthday party for a local girl, and as the children played with the new cats, laughter could be heard again in Aleppo. This small act of kindness has brought a bit of newfound hope to the people of Aleppo.