BEIRUT: Dressed as a giant condom and holding a heart-shaped sign that read “Dogs and Cats Can't Use Condoms: Spay and Neuter,” a member of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Asia handed out animal birth control leaflets in Beirut on Wednesday. PETA's goal was to help Beirut residents brush up on their “ABCs – animal birth control,” the animal rights group said in a press statement. In Beirut and across Lebanon, PETA said unwanted animals are often abandoned on the streets, joining countless other stray dogs and stray cats in a struggle to survive. Many of these animals starve to death, are injured or killed in fights, are hit by vehicles or are abused. Every time someone buys a dog or cat from a breeder or pet store, a homeless animal roaming the streets loses a chance at finding a good home. The solution is as easy as ABC: animal birth control. Spaying one dog or cat can prevent countless births. Sterilised animals also live longer, healthier lives and are less likely to roam, fight or bite. “Hundreds of thousands of dogs and cats die on the streets every year or languish in animal shelters because of a lack of good homes”, says PETA Director Jason Baker. “PETA urges everyone to always spay or neuter both animal companions and animals on the streets. And if you're considering adding a dog or cat to your family, never buy – always adopt a homeless animal,” he added. One Lebanese passerby told Bikya Masr via telephone that he was impressed with the demonstration saying “it takes guts to get out to the streets to do anything and to dress up like a condom, that is really amazing.” Tariq, who referred to himself as a human rights activist, said that he believes that animal rights are “an important part of how a society treats all living things. If we forget about those without power and who are treated cruelly, whether they are animals or people, how can we expect to live a life of compassion?” BM
