Activists call for national agency to protect animals

The UAE needs a national agency for the protection of animals to provide a much-needed boost for animal rights in the UAE, animal activists have said.

The call came after Gulf News reported the case of Clooney, the Golden Retriever yesterday. Jackie Ratcliffe of K9 Friends, the Dubai dog welfare group established 17 years ago said it was one of the worst cases of neglect they had ever come across.

Animal welfare groups are keen to help the federal and municipal authorities in getting animal protection off the ground by way of a national body.

Ratcliffe said voluntary groups for rescuing animals existed but they had no official recognition or legal rights. Although they rescued dogs from abusive owners the animals were usually returned to the same owners when they had recovered.

"We want to work with the authorities and help them to set regulations that prevent this. An NGO (non-governmental organisation) is needed and so is education because people can sometimes be very scared of dogs," she said.

Narges Khouzestani, an animal welfare worker said pet shops did not belong in the UAE.

"It is a European trend to have pets and pet shops but this is not part of the culture here and this is why we have so many problems.

"I have seen and heard cases of households sending their drivers out to dump their dogs in the desert. I have found cats in garbage bins and dogs dumped on the road destroyed in dog fights," said Khouzestani.

She said a national animal welfare agency was desperately needed as the existing welfare groups were saturated.

"Even if Muslims don't like to touch dogs they can help by donating money and food. I am a Muslim and I can't believe how all these dogs are surviving on the street."

She said many volunteers would come forward if an organised national animal welfare centre was opened.

If you have any comments write to us at letter2editor@gulfnews.com

What Islam says

People should be kind to all living things

"Humans, who have been created with a greater intellect than animals, have a special responsibility to be fair, just and kind to all other living things. The Blessed Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) once said that every injustice will be paid back on the Day of Judgment.

"For example, we are not allowed to harm animals or plants for no reason. The Blessed Prophet forbade people from capturing baby birds, burning ant hills and whipping animals cruelly. All the people he stopped from doing these things were doing them 'for fun.' Well, as the Prophet pointed out, it wasn't fun for the animals.

"…If we have them as pets we are to feed them and care for them. The Prophet once told a story in which he noted that a woman who starved her pet cat to death would be tormented by that cat on Judgment Day by way of revenge."

As cited on an ask-a-scholar website www.islamicedfoundation.com/askscholar/animal.htm