Looking at how we can support the community and the individuals that want to save stray animals but do not have the means to do so.
A few years ago, an animal rights law was introduced in the UAE: anyone endangering the lives of stray animals could be faced with jail time or hefty fines. While this law fulfilled a much-needed focus, we continue seeing animals dumped or intentionally harmed. Imposing penalties on these malicious individuals is a start in the right direction, but we also need to look at how we can support individuals that want to rescue and help these stray and injured animals.
It can be extremely expensive and physically demanding for people who want to help but may not have the means to do so. At present, because of the limited financial support and over-capacity of vets and charity organizations, any newly rescued or injured animal cannot be taken in unless the individual who has found the animal accepts full responsibility.
In a recent example, a stray cat that used to visit our house frequently seemed severely injured. We couldn’t ignore its suffering, so we took it to a vet and were able to secure a charity rate through an animal rescue group. We had to pay a deposit for the vet to take in the cat and run some tests, and they only carried out the necessary procedures after we had made the full payment.
Despite the charity rate, the costs were still significant, and it left me to wonder how someone who may not have the financial means would handle this situation. This would post a difficult moral dilemma for someone who may be forced to turn a blind eye to the suffering animal instead of helping, knowing that they would then have to take accountability for the animal’s care and expenses.
Financial expenses are not the only considerations to be made, but also the next steps in the animal’s life, which are left to the rescuer to determine. The options are usually to have the animal treated and released back to the streets, adopted, fostered until a permanent home is found, or to be euthanized if the injuries are too severe. None of these options are easy and it can be very daunting for the individual, who is not the caretaker, to make a decision about the animal’s life.
There needs to be a more collective effort and organized support for those that want to help and contribute but are left with decisions and responsibilities that can be impossible to make at times. To begin with, there needs to be a centralized network or app that has a listing of all registered vets in each emirate. Through this app, people should be able to report any stray animal that is injured or in need of critical care, and the nearest vet with the capacity to take on this case can come forward to treat the animal. I have seen a similar app available in the UAE, but it appeared to be mostly inactive. An app like this can help both the animals in need and the individuals trying to support.
The vets can then determine whether the stray animal can be treated or if euthanasia is the only option. They can also recommend whether the animal would be fit for release back into the streets or if it needs to be cared for in a protective home. These are decisions that the vet should be able to make as a medical expert, rather than leaving it up to the rescuer to make such a difficult decision.
These apps can also list all active charity organizations along with their contact details and social media pages. This will help individuals know who else they can reach out to at times of need, or to be able to view details of stray cats and dogs that need foster or permanent homes.
Unfortunately, mistreatment of animals continues to be a real problem as many people leave their pets behind when they leave the country or dump them in the streets when they no longer want to care for a pet. While this should also be punishable by law, we need to find alternative ways to offer support for stray animals. Although the number of animals in need is already significant, there needs to be an outlet where people who are unable to keep their pets for whatever reason can actually hand over their pets without the fear of being ostracized.
To support this, we would need shelters to take in dumped or stray animals that are injured or in need of a home. As an example, Germany has the largest animal shelter that can accommodate up to 2000 animals in a modern facility run by dedicated staff and volunteers. These animals have a place in this shelter for the rest of their lives if they are unable to find a loving home elsewhere.
There also needs to be an ongoing TNR approach – trap, neuter, release, to control overpopulation. This is already happening in the UAE to some extent. Countries such as Australia and Costa Rica have already adopted this and have been successful in significantly reducing their numbers without having to take the euthanasia route.
In order to support these initiatives, we need to organize more fundraising activities by charity organizations and encourage donations by individuals and corporations towards the treatment of injured stray animals, as vets alone cannot shoulder all of these expenses.
We also need to educate people, young and old, and encourage them to take part in supporting the stray community. These can be during Ramadan, through schools, and in different forms of news outlets, so that it becomes the way of life for all of us. Organizations can also get involved as part of their corporate social responsibility and support the dozens of stray cats that are littered in many of the car parks in the UAE.
Many individuals already take the responsibility to feed these strays, some of whom have even given shelter to over fifty strays in their own homes. We need to start recognizing and rewarding these individuals with the hope that others would offer support and emulate these acts of generosity as well.
In the words of Mahatma Gandhi, “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” We, in the UAE, take pride in being a hospitable and generous nation, and I know that we can extend these open arms to the four-legged creatures on the streets that are only seeking shelter, food, and comfort.
References:
https://www.peta.org/features/gandhi/
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