30 stray dogs killed in Al-Khalifa area for posing threat to residents

CAIRO – 12 June 2018: The executive organ of Al-Khalifa area launched a campaign to kill 30 stray dogs posing threats to residents.

The residents of Al-Khalifa district, known for its Islamic monuments, filed a complaint to Monitoring and Operations Room of the district over the increased number of stray dogs which regularly attack citizens.

Egyptian animal rights advocacy groups have intensified their efforts and campaigns over the past few years to raise awareness of animal rights after a number of high-profile cases of animal abuse have been committed. Their campaigns seem to have paid off.

In 2015, a video of a dog named Max being stabbed to death caused uproar, and Al Ahly Club was accused of poisoning stray cats. A year earlier, El-Gezira Club was also accused of another mass cat poisoning. The campaigns have had an impact on public opinion and, perhaps, the judiciary. The three young men who killed Max were sentenced to one to three months in prison. The club cases, however, did not lead to a verdict.

The campaigns have also relatively succeeded and helped improve the relationship of Egyptians with animals. Since then, posts on social media promoting mercy towards animals have significantly increased. From posts that ask people to wash empty tuna cans before throwing them away so they do not attract cats and injure their mouths, to posts telling people how to feed wild birds; such posts bear large numbers of shares.

Erhamo organization, one of the animal rights societies in Egypt, has launched a public awareness campaign on social media, encouraging people to feed stray animals. The initiative called upon the people to bring food and water for the stray dogs, Erhamo organization’s Facebook page admin told Egypt Today in a message. “Some Egyptian volunteers usually bring food and water for stray animals, particularly on Fridays,” the admin said.

Simultaneously, many people try to raise awareness about animal rights via Facebook by posting some tips and information on ways to help and protect animals. A Facebook user asked people to check under their cars before moving, as kittens and pups usually hide there.

Additional report by Hend Safwat