BEIRUT: Dogs and cats at many of the nation’s pet shops are starving to death, being abused and left to die in tiny cages and all in the name of a quick profit, activists said on Sunday.
Gathering outside Joe’s Farm pet shop, near Dbayeh-Marina, members of the newly formed “Animals Pride and Freedom” campaign, came together to petition for the introduction of a new animal-protection law.
Reforming current outdated and inadequate legislation would help stem some of the worst abuses and could improve the external image of Lebanon, they said.
“What is happening is truly disgusting, the animals are being left out in the blazing sun, they are getting sick, being denied medical attention and suffering and dying on mass,” said campaign founder Soraya Mouawad. “When we see abuses, we go to the shops and ask them to improve. If they don’t, we call the police.”
The police have been surprisingly receptive to the activist’s demands and routinely visit offenders, taking pictures of the mistreatment and pressuring owners to improve standards.
In cases where the law is clearly not being respected and smuggled animals, such as monkeys or flamingoes, are being sold, there is some room for maneuver. Fines, however, are insufficient to discourage repeat offenses and without a legal enforcement mechanism for general abuses, there is little that either the police or activists can do.
“By putting so many animals in such a small space and denying them proper medical treatment you are helping to breed disease,” said Lebanese Veterinary Syndicate president Dr. Fuad Hajj. “This is not only bad for animals, but can be bad for humans too. You don’t know what kind of diseases monkeys can have. Putting them in such close proximity to other household animals is not safe.”
Dead or diseased animals are also often thrown out, sometimes – as in the case of Joe’s Farm – into public areas, such as seas and rivers, where they can go on to contaminate drinking supplies, activists said.
Dead or diseased animals are also often thrown out, sometimes – as in the case of Joe’s Farm – into public areas, such as seas and rivers, where they can go on to contaminate drinking supplies, activists said.
Some headway is being made, and since forming a month ago the campaign has attracted hundreds of supporters and has pressured some owners to change their ways.
Joe’s, which previously displayed its animals in blazing sun with little or no water, has since moved its animals indoors.
It has also officially changed hands, with the new owner, Wajih al-Qaii, claiming to have sacked former employees responsible for the mistreatment. But even the positive steps are not being deemed as sufficient, with campaigners insisting conditions remain unacceptable and alleging that Qaii is merely a front man for the old owners.
“They are all a mafia, exploiting poor defenseless animals to make a profit,” said Mouawad. “These places are opening illegally anywhere and everywhere, with no regulation and no regard for any kind of standards.
“While people think that animal rights don’t matter and Lebanon has many other issues to deal with, it is all indicative of the same larger problem and they are a crucial part of the solution,” she said.
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