Qatar: Gunmen kill 29 dogs sparking outrage on social media

July 21, 2022 at 12:50 pm
Published in: Middle East, News, Qatar

A group of armed men stormed a secure facility in Qatar used to feed and shelter stray dogs, killing 29 of them and injuring others over claims that one of them had bitten one of the men's children.

According to the Independent, the unidentified gunmen threatened security guards with weapons before entering a secure factory area, where the stray dogs are looked by the community. The assailants are then thought to have shot 29 dogs, including puppies, leaving others badly injured.

Speaking to the Independent, a source described the incident as "horrific" with people running for cover as the group of men shot at the defenceless animals. The source added that after the shootings, a number of animals have still not been found, and locals fear they are hiding, possibly with terrible injuries.

The incident on 10 July was confirmed on social media by the Doha-based rescue charity PAWS Rescue Qatar, who mentioned that the group turned up on the first day of Eid.

"The security team tried to stop the men from shooting a group of beautiful friendly neutered dogs, but they realised that they were also putting themselves in danger also," the organisation stated, adding that the animals posed no threat to anyone and were well looked after. One puppy is fighting to survive under a vet's care.

The charity also questioned why there wasn't stricter gun controls in the Gulf state: "Why can civilians own guns and be allowed to use them as they wish? Why are there no stricter regulations?"

"If these monsters can kill so easily and threaten men what will they do next."

The announcement invoked an angry response by social media user who condemned the killings.

"This is barbaric," one user wrote. "I am genuinely shocked and heartbroken," wrote another.

"Very disappointed Qatar! The Gulf region must start to evolve on such matters – this is inexcusable! Poor babies," commented another.

In 2021, AFP reported that there has been an uptick in animal abuse in Qatar, particularly among strays and abandoned animals left behind by departing expatriates. The number of strays in the country had seen a surge as coronavirus lockdown restrictions were lifted.

Also last year, the government started a new initiative called Rifq, or Kindness, where stray dogs are captured, vaccinated, neutered and rehabilitated before then being put up for adoption.

Despite a 2004 law criminalising mistreatment of animals, law enforcement is said to be inconsistent. One Qatari animal rescuer was quoted in a report by Doha News last year as saying "There is a law against torturing animals, but it's just a 1,000 riyal fine, so it is not really a deterrent".

According to Qatari law, in order to own a firearm, you must obtain a licence from the Ministry of Interior (MOI), however you have to be over the age of 21 and not have a criminal record. Even with a license, you aren't allowed to brandish your gun in public.


No Dogs Allowed? Iran Considers Nationwide Ban On 'Dangerous, Harmful' Pets

Radio Free Europe
November 19, 2021

Iran's parliament is floating legislation that would ban most household pets in the name of protecting the country from the dangerous influence of "unclean" animals.

Under the bill on the "protection of public rights against dangerous and harmful animals," prepared by hard-line conservative lawmakers on November 17, Iranians would be barred from owning, breeding, and transporting dogs, cats, rabbits, and other common pets.

The keeping of "wild animals" such as snakes, lizards, crocodiles, mice, monkeys, donkeys, and turtles would also be barred if the legislation is approved, and violators would be subject to heavy penalties.

Payam Mohebi, a senior member of Iran's Society of Veterinarians, scoffed at the idea of such a varied list of animals being bunched together. "Definitely, in my view as a vet, a rabbit, a mouse, a crocodile, a dog, a cat, and a turtle cannot be classified in the same category in terms of being dangerous," he told RFE/RL's Radio Farda on November 18.

"Danger in what sense?" he asked, noting that in the case of exotic pets, such as crocodiles, certain health protocols are in place.

'Unclean, Un-Islamic'

The authorities have attempted to introduce similar restrictions against household animals in recent years as the ownership of dogs and other pets has become more popular despite the clerical establishment's arguments that keeping them inside homes is unhygienic and un-Islamic. Instances of people being attacked by stray dogs have also fueled calls for restrictions.

But while previous attempts to curtail pet ownership through local bans on dog walking and transportation have largely failed or met resistance, the latest proposal would be nationwide and comes as hard-liners increase their influence following the election of ultraconservative President Ebrahim Raisi in June.

Under the proposed legislation drafted by 75 hard-liners in the 290-seat parliament, Iranians caught possessing such pets three months after the passage of the bill into law would be subject to the confiscation of their animals and fines of 10 to 30 times the official monthly minimum wage. At the current rate, that could mean payouts of about $1,300 to $3,900.

Landlords who fail to enforce the rules for their tenants would be subjected to the same fine and law enforcement would be obliged to investigate neighbors' complaints of violations.

The proposed amendments to the existing Penal Code would also bar Iranians from walking their pets, and those caught transporting them would face fines and the confiscation of their vehicles.

Personal exemptions are possible for villagers, nomads, and herdsmen who require dogs for their livelihood or to guard property, upon approval by local municipal and provincial committees composed of members of law enforcement, health departments, veterinary associations, and the government.

Organizations including universities and laboratories would be allowed to keep the animals in question for the purpose of scientific research.

Mohebi cast doubt on the thinking that went into the bill. "No scientific expertise has gone into this legislation," he said. "There has been no consultation with Iran's Society of Veterinarians. I'm doubtful whether any vet was consulted."

It is not known when the proposed legislation will be considered.

'Western Depravity' Causing 'Fear and Panic'

Dog ownership has been a hot-button issue in Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, with the establishment viewing the practice as "morally depraved" and a sign of Western influence.

In recent years, dog ownership has become more popular, however, particularly among young people and the affluent, who see their toy dogs as a status symbol.

The trend has raised the ire of hard-liners in the country, particularly in Tehran, where city authorities banned dogs from city parks and streets this summer following pressure from conservatives.

Mohammad Hossein Hamidi, the chief of the capital's traffic police, also announced in July that officers would crack down on uncaged dogs in vehicles, saying they were a distraction to drivers. Society should "try to establish an Islamic way of life," he explained, adding that "dog breeding causes fear and panic" among the public.

High-ranking officials have also weighed in, with chief prosecutor Mohammad Jafar Montazeri saying that Iranian culture should contradict what he described as the "degenerate culture of the West," including its love of dogs. Calling dogs an "unclean animal," Montazeri said they "should not be part of Muslims' lives."

In 2007, Tehran clamped down on dogs by placing animals in pounds even in cases where they were accompanied on walks by their owners.

In 2014, lawmakers proposed legislation that would punish people walking their dogs in public with 74 lashes, the confiscations of the animal, and a fine of more than $3,500, although the measure did not pass.

That bill also targeted monkeys and called for confiscated animals to be transferred to a "zoo, forest, or desert" and for "the promotion of dog walking" by the media to be criminalized.

The current draft legislation does not mention what might happen to the animals it targets, but the authorities' past treatment of stray animals has prompted outcry from citizens and animal-rights advocates alike.

Graphic examples of animal cruelty posted on social media in recent years -- including one in which stray dogs in a Tehran suburb are seen dying in agony after being injected with an unknown substance and another in which a hunter is seen beating his dog -- led to protests in Iranian cities, including Tehran.

Such efforts, including an online campaign calling for legislation to prevent animal abuse, were rewarded with a draft law calling for the torture and harassment of animals to be banned.

In June, the bill was passed by parliament after years of deliberation.

Moment Uber driver refuses to give a ride to a blind man's guide dog before driving off - as he is fined £1,700 for breaching the Equality Act

Mohammed Hafiz Raja, from Watford, convicted by Westminster magistrates

Colin Perreira, 24, from Hemel Hempstead, was refused ride at Watford junction 

He said he has taken Uber drivers to court five times over lift refusals

Uber said in a statement that Raja's decision was 'totally unacceptable' 

By LUKE ANDREWS FOR MAILONLINE

PUBLISHED: 12:07 EDT, 2 March 2020

This is the sickening moment an Uber driver refuses to give a ride to a blind man's guide dog and leaves them standing on the pavement.

Mohammed Hafiz Raja was filmed saying 'I ain't going to take your dog' before driving away in his blue BMW at Watford junction station, Hertfordshire, in June last year.

Colin Perreira, 24, from Hemel Hempstead, and his six-year-old guide dog Sid had booked a ride to his father's home in King's Lynn, six miles away. This marks the fifth time Colin has taken an Uber driver to court.

Raja, from Watford, was convicted of breaching the Equality Act and fined £1,700 at Westminster magistrates' court last month. He has also been banned from offering rides through the app. 

Uber said in a statement their driver's behaviour was 'totally unacceptable'.  

In the video, Colin walks up to the BMW with his dog, which he needs to cross roads and get up steps, to take the lift before the driver refuses him access. 

'I'm going to pass you to another drive. I ain't going to take your dog,' the driver says. When Colin challenges him, he says: 'It's my car mate.' 

'It might be your car, but you sign up to a specific agreement with Uber,' Colin tells him on the video. 'The law states you are not allowed to refuse a guide dog.'

Raja then insists he has 'the power to' refuse to take him and drives away, leaving the pair standing on the pavement on June 27 last year.

Transport for London brought the case to magistrates on February 12. Raja did not enter a plea and did not attend the hearing. 

'What angered me most this time is the driver was so blatant in his refusal,' Colin said after the hearing.

'Sometimes, drivers give medical or religious reasons. But this was the most blatant refusal I'd ever had. He didn't have a reason. 

'I told him I'd report him and he said he didn't want a dog in his car.'

'Most Uber drivers I come across are Muslim drivers. Many Muslims seem to think dogs are unclean. It’s against their religion.

'They don’t seem to understand that UK law, under the Equality Act 2010 doesn’t protect them from refusing rides on religious grounds.'

Colin said other drivers have previously told him they are allergic to dogs in order to avoid giving him a lift, but he says they must have a valid medical exemption certificate to prove this.  

'One driver said he was going to pull over to show me his certificate, and then just drove off,' Colin said.

He has continued to use the app, despite being refused lifts by drivers, in order to defend disabled people. 

'It’s convenient, cashless and cheap. It makes my life much easier because I don’t have to mess around with coins. Ubers are always around the corner,' he said.

'It normally takes about five minutes, compared to 30 minutes for a taxi. Why should I have to stop using the app, because of the way I am treated?' 

I feel like I am standing up for the disabled people and guide dog owners. I want to show that we won't tolerate this behaviour and that we will stand up to it.

'My message to drivers who refuse to take my guide dog is that I will not tolerate it. I will prosecute. I am not in the business of getting people to lose their jobs, I’m doing it to raise awareness. I have to stand up for members of the blind community. 

'I don’t take being refused a ride personally, although it does really anger me and confuse me that people don’t seem to understand what a guide dog is.

'I take action because it can have a long-lasting impact if it happens to others. It could stop them from leaving the house.' 

A spokesman for Uber said: 'It is totally unacceptable for drivers to refuse to take a guide dog and we investigate every report.

'Any driver who is found to have refused to take a service animal will permanently lose access to the app.'

Taxi driver who refused to take guide dog is fined

25 January 2017
BBC

Abandi Kassim turned away Charles Bloch, 22, and his dog in Leicester in July 2016.

The driver apologised outside Leicester Magistrates' Court and claimed he was "confused" at the time.

Mr Bloch said he hoped the fine would send a message to others that disability laws must be respected.

He had booked the minicab for himself and his assistance dog, Carlo, and his girlfriend filmed Kassim saying he would not take them with the dog because of his religion.

Mr Bloch, who is registered blind, explained the law but Kassim drove away.

Kassim, 44, of Fountains Avenue, Leicester, pleaded guilty to refusing to convey a guide dog, an offence under the Equality Act 2010, and was fined £340 plus £200 costs and a £50 victim surcharge.

Magistrates told him taxi drivers had a duty to know the law.

Kassim said: "I was confused because I was scared of the dog and at the time I did not know the difference between the guide dog and the normal dog.

"It was a mistake, it was a lack of training, I think there should be a course about dogs. I know about them now and would take them now."

Mr Bloch said: "I know a lot of people with assistance dogs worry about this happening so hopefully this shows them the law is on their side.

"It also shows that if they have a problem, there is something they can do about it."

This is the second time Mr Bloch has taken action against a taxi firm, with him bringing a similar case in November.

ADT Taxis, which employed Mr Kassim, said the driver had been dismissed as soon as they became aware of the incident.
 
Guide dogs and the law

Under the Equality Act 2010, it is illegal for a private hire vehicle to refuse to take a disabled person because they have an assistance dog, nor can they charge more.

Anyone found guilty of an offence under the act is liable to a fine.

Assistance dogs are defined as dogs trained to guide someone who is blind, deaf, epileptic or suffers a condition which affects mobility.

Drivers can apply to a licensing authority for exemption from carrying assistance dogs, but only on medical grounds.

Source: UK Government


Mecca bans sale of pet cats, dogs

DPA
Thursday, August 24, 2006

DUBAI: Authorities in the Saudi city of Mecca have banned the sale of pet cats and dogs at the request of religious police.

The commission for the promotion of virtue and prevention of vice made the request after many young Saudis had gone outdoors with their pet dogs violating the kingdom's culture and traditions, the Arab News reported on Thursday.

Authorities in the city of Jeddah have also begun enforcing the decision, the report said.

The commission complained that Saudi youths, apparently influenced by Western culture, were bringing their pets into public places, allegedly causing distress to families with young children.

The Jeddah Municipality had received a letter from the Mecca governorate banning the sale of pet dogs and cats in the city, the report added.

Islam considers dogs unclean and Muslim traditional families do not keep them as pets. But there is no mention of cats.


Saudi Arabia bans sale of dogs, cats in capital

By DONNA ABU-NASR
August 1, 2008

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Every single man knows: Walking a dog in the park is a sure babe magnet. Saudi Arabia's Islamic religious police, in their zeal to keep the sexes apart, want to make sure the technique doesn't catch on here.

The solution: Ban selling dogs and cats as pets, as well as walking them in public.

The prohibition went into effect Wednesday in the capital, Riyadh, and authorities in the city say they will strictly enforce it — unlike previous bans in the cities of Mecca and Jiddah, which have been ignored and failed to stop pet sales.

Violators found outside with their pets will have their beloved poodles and other furry companions confiscated by agents of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, the official name of the religious police, tasked with enforcing Saudi Arabia's strict Islamic code.

The commission's general manager, Othman al-Othman, said the ban was ordered because of what he called "the rising of phenomenon of men using cats and dogs to make passes at women and pester families" as well as "violating proper behavior in public squares and malls."

"If a man is caught with a pet, the pet will be immediately confiscated and the man will be forced to sign a document pledging not to repeat the act," al-Othman told the Al-Hayat newspaper. "If he does, he will be referred to authorities." The ban does not address women.

The Saudi-owned Al-Hayat announced the ban in its Wednesday edition, saying it was ordered by the acting governor of Riyadh province, Prince Sattam, based on an edit from the Council of Senior Islamic Scholars and several religious police reports of pet owners harassing women and families.

Commission authorities often do not formally announce to the public new rules that they intend to implement. Officials from the commission and Riyadh city government could not be reached for comment Thursday, which is a weekend day in Saudi Arabia. The English-language Arab News reported on the ban Thursday.

So far, the prohibition did not appear to have any effect in Riyadh. It's extremely rare, anyway, to see anyone in the capital walking a dog — much less carrying a cat in public — despite the authorities' claims of flirtatious young men luring girls with their pets in malls.

Salesmen at a couple of Riyadh pet stores said Thursday they did not receive any orders from the commission banning the sale of pets. Cats and dogs were still on display.

"I didn't hear of the ban," said Yasser al-Abdullah, a 28-year-old Saudi nurse, who was at one pet store with his 3-month-old collie, Joe.

Al-Abdullah, who also owns an 8-month-old Labrador, said a couple of Western friends had been told to get off the streets by the religious police for walking their dogs.

"I won't allow the commission to take my dogs from me," he said.

The religious police prowl streets and malls throughout the kingdom, ensuring unmarried men and women do not mix, confronting women they feel are not properly covered or urging men to go to prayers.

They also often make attempts to plug the few holes in the strict gender segregation that innovations bring. In 2004, for example, they tried to ban cameras on cell phones, fearing that men and women would exchange pictures of each other — though the prohibition was quickly revoked.

There was no word whether commission authorities intend to expand the dog and cat ban beyond the capital.

The prohibition may be more of an attempt to curb the owning of pets, which conservative Saudis view as a sign of corrupting Western influence, like the fast food, shorts, jeans and pop music that have become more common in the kingdom.

Although it has never been common to own pets in the Arab world, it's becoming increasingly fashionable among the upper class in Saudi Arabia and other countries such as Egypt.

In Islamic tradition, dogs are shunned as unclean and dangerous, though they are kept for hunting and guarding. In large cities around the Middle East, stray dogs are considered pests.

The ban on cats is more puzzling, since there's no similar disdain for them in Islamic tradition.

One of the Prophet Muhammad's closest companions was given the name Abu Huraira, Arabic for "the father of the kitten," because he always carried a kitten with him and a number of traditional stories of the prophet show Muhammad encouraging people to treat cats well.