ANIMAL welfare activists in Bahrain have called on people to provide food and water to strays as summer temperatures continue to soar.
They fear the number of abandoned pets will increase once again during the summer months as uncaring owners head off on holiday or relocate back to their home countries at the end of their work contracts.
Temperatures in Bahrain have already reached 45C this month and will likely rise further in the coming weeks. “In this extreme weather, it is important to recognise that strays are struggling, it’s heart-breaking,” National Initiative for Animal Welfare founder Musab Al Shaikh told the GDN.
“People are under the wrong perception that they cannot feed them. However, they are allowed to providing it’s done properly,” he added, which means not littering areas and cleaning up afterwards.
“Strays should only be fed with dry or wet animal food. Please do not dump leftover scraps onto the streets that end up causing a mess and risk attracting insects and rodents.
“Again, we must be respectful. If you are feeding the strays in your neighbourhood, and living people around the area become irritated, you should find another spot to feed them.
“Many of these animals have no access to food or water and without help they will starve or dehydrate to death,” he added.
The Bahrain Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (BSPCA) chairman Mahmood Faraj agreed that all endeavours to help the strays should be carried out in a ‘respectful manner’.
“A lot of these dogs are being dumped, especially during the hot, summer months when people go on holiday or return to their home countries,” he added. “We call on everyone to do their part and provide water for them. However, we must also remember that food for the strays must be provided in a hygienic manner.
“We need a balanced approach to tackling the issue and one that will help the animals now. Every day we are witnessing animals being dumped on the streets by irresponsible owners and nothing appears to be done about it.”
There have been suggestions that all those with pets should be registered on a database with the animal details on a microchip, with heavy fines for those leaving the country without proof of their pets being rehomed.
The GDN previously reported that there were plans to set up the kingdom’s first public pet park for stray dogs in Askar but the move was indefinitely suspended. MPs believed that the BD5.45 million bill to build the facility was too costly so the project was removed from the most recent national state budget.
Activists continue to advocate for a secure environment in the kingdom where strays can live indefinitely and in peace. “Land should be allocated where strays are allowed to roam freely and taken care of properly,” added Mr Al Shaikh.
julia@gdnmedia.bh
&uuid=(email))