CAIRO: The past month has kept animal rights groups in Egypt busier than usual with filing a lawsuit against a pet store, pushing legislation through parliament and dealing with dolphin cruelty. The Egyptian Society of Animal Friends (ESAF) and the Egyptian Society of Mercy to Animals (ESMA) are suing the Egyptian Agriculture Ministry in an effort to put an end to their use of strychnine to poison and kill stray animals as well as shooting and killing them with the use of guns. “We had submitted legislation to the government four years ago to stop this tactic and apply international methods to stabilize the population and sterilize the strays, but it has yet to be looked at,” said Ahmed Sherbiny, head of ESAF and lawyer in the lawsuit. “We tried multiple times to communicate with the government and work together, but nothing has happened so now we are fed up and need to take action. This is our only solution.” A petition has also been sent to the Ministry of Agriculture to speed up the process of presenting the legislation to parliament, which was submitted in 2006. “I am hopeful for a better future in the treatment of animals in Egypt, but only if animal welfare societies can work together for this better outcome,” stated Sherbiny. The groups are also suing the largest pet shop in Cairo over its condition and maltreatment of its animals. The lawsuit is being brought against them by both groups as well as a few independent individuals. “The good treatment of animals is part of history and Islam, but people don't care anymore. In 2001-2002, animal welfare groups started forming here and we go through hell to raise awareness about animals,” said Sherbiny. The groups have confirmed that the district attorney has accepted the case and will pursue the charges against the pet store located on Kasr El-Aini Street. The district attorney has also called for a report to be completed by veterinarians based in Cairo who have looked into the situation. “We have had numerous complaints about this pet shop and their cruelty against the animals they have. Nothing has been done so we finally decided to take legal action against them, it was our last resort,” said Sherbiny. The owner of the shop, who declined to provide his name, said that this group keeps trying to make accusations that aren't true and cause trouble for his shop. “They keep saying this and that, but these animals are healthy and stay in their cages until they are sold. We don't harm them or anything,” he said. Sherbiny commented on the fact that “this is the first shop that has seen legal action taken against them, but won't be the last,” referring to more lawsuits against pet shops in Egypt to follow in the future. The groups have accused the pet shop of keeping the animals in cages too small with no food or water as well as being confined in those cages 24 hours a day. Sherbiny said he hoped that once people realize action will be taken and the severity of this issue, action will be taken and standards in these shops will be raised, referring to the inadequate conditions of pet stores in the country. While Sherbiny said he hopes that real action will be taken, he only foresees the shop receiving a misdemeanor, but the shop owner says he doesn't think anything will happen to him or his shop and business will run as usual. It is also Sherbiny's hope that animal lovers start taking more action, such as boycotting shops to raise awareness on this issue. Also sending animal welfare advocates into a fury, a shocking discovery has been made that four bottlenose dolphins are being kept in a pool in a private villa in Hurghada. The dolphins are said to be from Japan, captured at sea and have been held since mid-August in a pool that is 9m x 9m and 4m deep. It has been reported by welfare groups, such as the Hurghada Environmental Protection and Conservation Association (HEPCA), that in addition to the small pool they are being held in, the water conditions are sub-par and the dolphins are developing the first signs of eye damage due to this. These groups have also reported that four more dolphins are expected to be imported to the area from Japan. According to HEPCA's website (www.hepca.com), they have been working with major Egyptian authorities, such as the Governor of the Red Sea Governorate, the mayor of Hurghada and the Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, to find a solution. After more than 20 meetings, a solution has been found. The dolphins have been granted permission to be transferred to an artificial saltwater lake in Sahl Hasheesh where they will spend their remaining quarantine time of two months before being released back into their natural habitat.
