SEVERAL stray dogs were found dead in Askar under mysterious circumstances last month, prompting animal activists to seek tough action.
They have claimed that the dogs were brutally killed and dumped in open areas, while a few others were left to rot after being partially buried underground.
The activists have pleaded that the canines be treated more humanely, and also demanded that those responsible for such outrageous acts be held accountable.
Animal and Environment Protection Charity Organisation president Shaikha Marwa bint Abdulrahman Al Khalifa expressed disbelief and shock over the ‘uncivilised behaviour’.
“I’m very ashamed of the way stray dogs have been treated for the past six years in Bahrain,” she told the GDN.
“They have been moved from one area to another until they are finally dumped in Askar, where they are killed.
“We are progressing in many aspects in Bahrain, except for animal treatment.”
Shaikha Marwa said breeding and selling animals should be licensed by the government.
“Such a move would restrict the illegal trade and breeding of dogs,” she added.
Bahrain Strays founder Fathiya Al Bastaki said she was shocked to find canine bodies in various parts of Askar.
“We are sparing no efforts to contain the stray dog population and make sure that they are treated humanely in Askar. But all our efforts seem to be in vain,” Ms Al Bastaki told the GDN.
“The government is spending money to get them neutered or spayed.
“The government had also promised to set up a shelter for strays and we have been waiting for it for the past four years. Nothing has happened yet.
“So many strays are getting killed every day. The expatriate community in Bahrain is extremely unsettled by what they have called ‘barbaric behaviour’ and it will negatively impact Bahrain’s reputation.”
Southern Municipal council chairman Bader Al Tamimi told the GDN that these random actions don’t represent the Bahraini society.
“These incidents have occurred in the Industrial area in Askar, that is home to people of various nationalities. We need more monitoring and inspections,” he told the GDN.
“Islam condemns this cruelty and we weren’t taught to treat animals this way.
“We may get upset about the stray dogs in residential areas and the chaos they cause sometimes, but we would never kill them mercilessly like this.”
Meanwhile, Bahrain Dumped Dogs founder Cheryl Nielson appealed to the authorities to take action and continue the Catch-Neuter-Release (CNR) programmes.
She said Bahrain could follow the models of other countries to implement humane ways to reduce the stray population.
“CNR is the best way to tackle the burgeoning population of strays, but the programme has been stopped since the contract expired more than a year ago,” Ms Nielson, who runs the unregistered organisation, told the GDN.
“Dogs are breeding out of control again.
“I heard some of the strays were shot, it’s a barbaric and cowardly act. We should at least collect the bodies to dispose them properly.
“The strays could be humanely euthanised, but leaving them, partially buried, to rot is unhygienic and gruesome.”
Ms Neilson said the CNR programme is a long-term commitment which requires patience to achieve results.
reem@gdn.com.bh
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