CAIRO: The Egyptian Society of Animal Friends (ESAF), The Egyptian Society of Mercy to Animals (ESMA) and a number of independent individuals have filed a lawsuit against Cairo's largest pet shop over the condition of animals. The consortium said that the District Attorney requested a complete report done by Cairo-based veterinarians that looked into the matter. According to the groups, the DA has since said that he would accept the case and bring charges against a pet shop on Kasr el-Aini street, a major road in the upscale Garden City neighborhood of downtown Cairo. “This is the first pet shop to be targeted and have legal action taken against them,” said Ahmed Sherbini, the head of ESAF and the lawyer who is fighting the conditions of animals in Egyptian pet shops. ESAF said they had received numerous complaints of cruelty and “horrific” conditions at the pet shop under scrutiny and that this case will be the beginning of a larger campaign against pet shops in Egypt. The case is going after the pet shop via its licensing by the Cairo government. Sherbini said that through the licensing, the pet shop could lose its ability to function and this could “end the cruelty that exists in pet shops around the country.” According to animal advocates in Egypt, animals in local pet shops are living in conditions ill-suited to appropriate needs and welfare. One welfare advocate told Bikya Masr that in the upscale neighborhood of Zamalek, one pet shop holds dozens of animals, including cats and dogs in small containers meant for birds. When Bikya Masr arrived at the shop, the screams of dogs and cats could be heard from a distance. Up close, it was discern able that the animals are unable to walk and are confined 24 hours a day in bird cages. The owner refused to answer why the animals were in such conditions, saying simply “people buy them and we give them their shots.” He declined to comment further on the welfare of his pets. In related news, a court case has also been filed against the Egyptian agriculture ministry to end the use of strychnine to poison and kill stray animals. The government policy of killing stray animals has left many animal advocates frustrated and angry. Dina Zulfikar, a leading independent activist, has called on the government to end the policy immediately. “It is horrible that animals are being treated this way and we are working with the government to implement different solutions to the stray animal problem,” she told Bikya Masr in a recent interview. The case also includes a petition to the Ministry of Agriculture to speed submitting the suggested animal legislation to Parliament, which they received from Egyptian animal welfare organizations in 2006. BM
