A big-hearted animal lover and her friend who helped save a large number of abandoned Persian cats have pleaded with members of the public not to send more strays to them.
Complete strangers suddenly turned up with another litter of unwanted moggies assuming they would be looked after too.
“It’s ridiculous,” South African expatriate Tracy Ross told the GDN. “We are not in a position to take in any more unwanted cats so, please, don’t bring them to me or my friends!”
As earlier reported in this newspaper, Ms Ross filed a police complaint at Hidd Police Station after 15 fluffy Persians were found abandoned in Arad, sparking concern among animal rescuers and residents.
She took four from the first litter. The remaining cats were placed in the temporary care of her Bahraini friend, who now, following this latest incident, must also shelter an eight additional cats at her Isa Town home.
The good deed backfired when people started assuming they could send some more their way.
In the latest incident, seven kittens and their mother were left at a compound. “According to what we know, a local couple came to the compound and pretended to know her, giving her full name,” said Ms Ross, who has lived in the kingdom for 28 years. Her friend has chosen to remain anonymous, fearing that others might dump even more animals outside her home.
“The security guard, believing they were acquainted, accepted the cats and placed them outside her home. She was absolutely shocked when she came home.”
Ms Ross, who works as a planning and design head at a travel company, stressed that the incident highlights how well-meaning people who step in to help vulnerable animals are often taken advantage of, adding further pressure to an already difficult situation.
“My friend is now caring for 19 dumped cats, in addition to the more than 40 animals she has rescued over the years,” she said, adding that those who abandoned the cats were clearly aware of her friend’s efforts and exploited her compassion.
“She had no choice but to take them in, as she could not leave these innocent animals on the street,” Ms Ross said. “What makes it worse is that the people involved did not even have the decency to knock on her door and speak to her. Instead, they forced her hand.”
Ms Ross added that the additional kittens have made the rehoming process far more challenging, especially as they are trying to manage it in a responsible way.
“The kittens are still nursing, so we are waiting until they are finished to carry out a careful screening process to ensure they are placed in homes where they will be cared for, hopefully, for the rest of their lives,” she said.
The kittens are expected to be rehomed from late December into early January, with plans to have them spayed beforehand.
Ms Ross said that once she returns from South Africa after attending to a family emergency, she plans to follow up on the initial case she filed and is encouraging her friend to lodge a separate complaint over the latest incident.
“We need to apply pressure in this situation. Enough is enough,” she said.
“I am urging authorities to properly enforce the laws already in place so that people stop committing these horrible acts. It should not continue to fall on well-meaning residents to deal with the consequences.”
In Bahrain, abandoning a pet is against the law and considered a criminal offence. Violators can face penalties, including fines and imprisonment.
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