Need for awareness campaign on the rights of animals
Abig number of the young generation are not well-educated and violent towards animals. This is not just a theory, it is true. Take a walk on the streets and count the number of children who throw empty juice cans from the windows of their cars at stray cats or those who try to catch these cats or use their bicycles to run over them.
These children are incompassionate, badly raised and cruel. It is as if they were raised to engage in violence and it is a fun game for them. One attacks a turtle with a knife and watches it bleed to death just to prove to his friends that he is a man. Is violence related to masculinity? How?
Animals are subjected to barbaric torture and hateful treatment because they are weak creatures that cannot defend or speak for themselves. Do you still think this generation knows animal rights?
Parents are responsible for the psychological health or mental wellness of their children, including the latter’s behavior towards weak creatures. If a child treats animals in a certain way, it reveals the parenting style of his parents.
It is even more embarrassing if an adult does the same. A couple of weeks ago, an influential social media personality kept his dog locked inside the trunk of his car where there is no air conditioning unit under very hot weather conditions for a period of time. He opened his trunk and laughed because he thought it is funny to torture a dog. Within 10 seconds, a Snapchat video showed the dog that was already dead in a swimming pool, while the influential social media personality took pictures and made fun of the dead dog. A 10-second joke on Snapchat to entertain his followers cost a life! How hateful!!
Law number 112 for the year 2015 endorsing the Code for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of the Gulf Cooperation Council States obligates the owners of animals and those taking care of them not to harm or inflict injury on animals or cause them pain or suffering. Animal owners must comply with the following:
A. Provision of appropriate facilities and living conditions for animals.
B. Provide sufficient number of qualified employees with the ability, knowledge and professional competence on animal welfare.
C. Inspect the animals and check their situation at least once a day.
D. Not to release any animal whose survival depends on man. In case the owner wants to abandon an animal, this shall be carried out in coordination with the competent authority.
E. Follow up the health of animals and take them to the veterinarian to examine and treat them or carry out whatever is necessary in this regard.
If these codes are violated, the animal owner will be imprisoned for a period not exceeding six months and the penalty shall be doubled if the offense is repeated.
The law includes stipulation on selling sick animals or doing exhibitions or competitions for commercial purposes. These acts are punishable — imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year and the penalty shall be doubled in case of repeating the offense. Still, the law did not mention anything about torturing animals!
From time to time, we see viral videos of people electrocuting animals or tying them with ropes and torturing them, while the law has no special code on animal torture which makes it unfair! Torture reveals how sick minded a person is; hence, the need for psychiatric treatment. Such acts should not be taken for granted!
The Parliament must enact a law on animal torture as the act is still being committed. There must be an awareness campaign on the rights of animals for the people to become aware and educated.