Police are investigating claims that young, healthy desert dogs are being lined by gangs of shooters looking to bag up prime meat for human consumption.
National Initiative for Animal Welfare founder Musab Al Shaikh told the GDN that alarming suspicious activities had twice been witnessed in Askar with armed men targeting specific puppies.
He said that according to witnesses, the shotgun-wielding warriors removed their fallen prey in black bags and loaded them onto a pick-up truck.
“We have submitted a complaint and a report to police and the concerned authorities and hopefully we will be getting an answer soon,” Mr Al Shaikh told the GDN yesterday.
“There are perhaps two possible scenarios to explain the incidents. The first is that someone is frustrated about the increasing number of stray dogs so decided to shoot them to reduce their numbers, or out of anger and revenge for being bitten, but that doesn’t seem to be the case here.
“People who tend to take this path normally leave the dead animals for fear of legal repercussions but what appears to have happened in Askar involved people deliberately choosing dogs based on their age, killing them and then removing them in black bags.
“The individuals targeted young puppies only, which raises the question as to why and where were they taken. There is a genuine fear that dog meat is being disguised and used for human consumption.”
The GDN previously reported that a ‘dubious-looking’ vehicle has been spotted in the area and seemed to go to great lengths to avoid areas equipped with surveillance cameras. Witnesses who confronted the men were allegedly told they had been sent by the municipal council, a claim denied by officials.
Mr Al Shaikh added that the matter was being investigated by the Public Prosecution following a prompt response by the police.
He added that the incidents has also created a fear of ‘individuals walking around with weapons’ which prohibited witnesses from taking clear pictures or live videos.
Bahrain Strays Founder Fathiya Al Bastaki claimed that rumours abound and that ‘puppies were allegedly selected due to their tender meat’.
She added that the anonymous individuals were suspected to be back street expatriate restaurant owners who killed the dogs to make use of their ‘tender meat’ in efforts to cut costs and make a swift profit.
“We have had many puppies disappearing from Askar,” said Ms Al Bastaki. “We don’t know who these individuals are, if they were hired by someone to reduce the numbers of stray dogs or they are restaurant owners who kill the dogs for ‘free meat’ and this has reportedly happened in other GCC countries.
“We must not allow this issue to be swept under the rug.”
The GDN previously reported in August last year, that animal welfare activists in Bahrain have expressed outrage following claims that several stray dogs were found shot dead in Askar.
The most recent incident will be reviewed today during the Muharraq Municipal Council’s bi-weekly meeting prior to submitting a proposal to the Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture Ministry.
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