EGYPT, STOP POISONING STRAY DOGS!

To
The President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi
Ministry of Agriculture, Veterinary Services Authority Major General Dr. Ehab Saber
The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, Minister Ahmed Issa

The photo of a dog who is on the lorry to be taken to be burned alive with his dead companions among waste has been the last drop to many animal protectors in Egypt. It has been shared again and again.

In Egypt, animal control is under the jurisdiction of the ministry of Agriculture. Egyptian institutions' way to tackle the stray dogs' issue is to kill free roaming dogs. The stray dogs are masspoisoned with strychnine, which is a potent pesticide, which first paralyzes and shuts down the system beginning with the respiratory system. Death follows in few extremely agonizing minutes. Dogs are culled either poisoning with poisoned dumping foods or state veterinarians injecting them strychnine. Strays were executed also by shooting with guns before, but nowadays it is considered too dangerous for the residents.

The elimination of stray dogs are targeted in on the coordination or the Directorate of Veterinary Medicine, Living Officers and Centers.

There are an estimated 15 million stray dogs in Egypt. Only a small part of the dogs can fit in shelters, which mainly take in dogs that cannot cope on the streets due to e.g. disabilities. Private people fund strays' vaccination and castration within the TNR campaign; veterinarians contribute to this by providing treatments at a special price. TNR-treated dogs are given a tag in the ear, from which you can tell from a distance that it has been treated.
This year, animal protectionists have also reported the poisoning of TNR marked dogs. Many of poisoned dogs were nursing mothers which were their left their puppies totally helpless.

The administration has outright admitted that poisoning dogs is "cheaper" than vaccinating and castration them. There is still rabies in Egypt.

Animal rights defenders ask is it may be due that corruption and illegal trafficking in strychnine plays a role in Egyptian institutions' choices?

Since tourism is an important business in Egypt, it would be important to understand that, as a rule, tourists do not share the Egyptians' view of the treatment of dogs chosen by the Egyptian administration. Brutal poisonings must stop completely, and funds must be found for vaccination and castration campaigns. It will be cheaper than loosing your tourists.

We now appeal to you to step into the 3rd millennium and start treating dogs as sentient and conscious beings should be treated and promote vaccination and castration campaigns!

References

https://www.oipa.org/international/dogs-killed-egypt-government/


https://dogstodaymagazine.co.uk/2023/01/26/the-hell-of-homeless-dogs-in-cairo/