An international petition against butchering pets in Dubai

Human rights activists launched a petition calling for an end to the massacre of cats and dogs in Dubai on the eve of hosting the International Expo, scheduled to open at the end of next October.

The petition, which was published by several international and animal rights groups, stated that stray cats and dogs are caught in Dubai to disappear from the streets before the upcoming celebration of Expo 2020.

The petition, which more than 114,000 people signed, highlighted that the local authorities’ decision in Dubai aims to the disappearance of entire groups of cats and dogs from the streets of Dubai.

Dubai Municipality recently issued a circular, not only for residents but also for tourists, prohibiting feeding stray dogs and cats.

According to local animal rights activists, this directive leads to ruthless hunting, in which dogs and cats, even if equipped with a collar, are captured and then either killed in shelters or transported to the desert, where they are left to die of starvation and thirst.

The petition called on the competent authorities in the UAE and Dubai to stop repression and deportation, to immediately lift the ban on feeding stray animals, and to implement a non-violent strategy to combat stray dogs.

The UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment also demanded the establishment of animal shelters to feed stray animals rather than abuse them and leave them in the desert to die and the necessity of providing free veterinary services for injured and stray animals.

Details of the cats and dogs massacre

In Dubai, a real massacre of stray dogs and cats is taking place in light of the exhibition that the emirate will host in two months (after being postponed last year due to the Corona epidemic).

Animal rights activists have highlighted that hundreds of stray animals are disappearing in Dubai, and residents who feed them are punished with extremely high fines.

The online petition to rescue stray animals says local authorities in Dubai claim that removing cats and dogs from the streets will bring the country a reputation for better efficiency.

In the UAE, dozens of stray animals are killed every day as they are collected by the municipality and transported to shelters.

Due to a space problem in shelters, many animals are left to die in the desert below 60 degrees without water, shade and food.

Currently, about 100,000 cats and tens of thousands of dogs in Abu Dhabi and the same number in Dubai are trying to survive in challenging conditions.

Many of these stray animals were abandoned due to the Corona pandemic when panic initially emerged among those who claimed that cats and dogs could transmit the virus.

As preparations for the Expo begin, stray animals are in even greater danger.

More than 500 cats and a large number of dogs have been killed in the past week. “Street cleaning” continues until now! In this collection process, if there was a pet, the right to kill it was considered legal because it was outside.

The UAE has a clear problem, even though in 2008, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment made pet abandonment a punishable crime.