A POLICE complaint has been filed by Bahrain’s oldest animal welfare centre against what it claims to be repeated killings of stray dogs in Askar.
The Bahrain Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (BSPCA) lodged a complaint at the Riffa Police Station, which included photo evidence, urging authorities to urgently investigate the alleged killings and put a stop to the “needless violence” against innocent animals.
“The (alleged) killings must be stopped immediately, and there should be more effort in finding the people behind them,” BSPCA chairman Mahmood Faraj told the GDN.
“We are aware that the killings have been going on for quite a while now; more effort should be exerted into saving these animals instead of killing them.”
Though the society doesn’t have exact numbers of the killed, Mr Faraj admitted the number is “unfortunately a lot”.
“There is no excuse for the vile killings, and sadly we keep witnessing innocent dogs dying for reasons we have no answers for,” he said, adding that he is working with the appropriate government agencies to come up with a solution to keep the stray dogs safe.
Mr Faraj shared with the GDN gruesome photographs of the injured dogs in Askar which were also submitted to the police as per the complaint filed on Thursday.
Talks were held last year by Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture Ministry’s Agriculture and Marine Resources vet clinics and disease control section chief Dr Abbas Al Hayki and Southern Municipal Council members to open Bahrain’s first public pet park, which would offer a ‘home’ for stray dogs in Askar.
Plans were pushed for this year with further details of the proposal already outlined.
However, MPs believed that the BD5.45 million bill to build the facility was too high – so the project was struck off the 2023-2024 national state budget.
The site would have a capacity for around 5,000 animals on an area of 40,000 square metres and would feature green areas and buildings.
Dr Al Hayki earlier told Southern Municipal Council members that around 4,000 dogs have been captured and more than 2,000 neutered since 2017 – and that number is believed to have increased since then.
Mr Faraj highlighted that it’s not fair that these dogs are dumped in Askar and are then mistreated or killed.
“All animals should be protected. There are better ways to handle the stray animal problem than just killing them off.”
He claimed that all stray dogs in Askar are targeted as various types of breeds have been the victims of these attacks.
Ahead of the warmer months, Mr Faraj urged people to provide food and water to stray dogs they come across, as long as it’s ‘away from residential areas’.
“The public can leave food and water in areas away from where people live,” he said adding that once the animals are done eating they should also clean the area to ensure no pests start breeding.
“We can’t just leave the animals helpless, so we must come up with solutions to ensure their safety.”
In 2022, the GDN reported similar concerns raised by the BSPCA after several stray dogs were found shot dead in Askar.
Established in 1979 by a small group of committed and passionate animal lovers, the BSPCA was officially registered by the Social Development Ministry as a humane, charitable, non-profit organisation dedicated to the welfare of animals.
The BSPCA’s Animal Welfare Centre, which is home to more than 160 animals, relies on sales from its thrift store to rescue thousands of cats and animals, helping to tackle the issue of animal abuse and mistreatment.
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