Arab Times published an image on June 20, 2010 showing a security officer aiming at a bull with a rifle! According to the accompanied report, “the officers had no option than to shoot the third one” referring to three bulls which escaped from a ship at the Shuwaikh port Friday (Arab Times June 20, 2010). The report goes on to clarify that the officers “reportedly tried their best to tame the bull but they had to kill it in frustration, and it was shot eight times!”I would have partially agreed with such treatment if those animals were actually mad dogs, or lions or mighty pythons threatening to crush their human victims in their folds.

However, to shoot a rampaging bull, which appears nonviolent and smaller than the officer who shot it, is unacceptable. Resorting to bullets to deal with runaway animals worsen the conditions of animal rights in Kuwait. In fact, such incidents reveal the lack of animal rights culture in Kuwait.
Even though we have rules, regulations and laws outlawing cruel treatment of animals, yet we seem to lack the social, technical mechanisms or government agency to deal with such situations.

I call on the government to reestablish the rule of law relative to animal rights. Abusing, maltreating, starving and exposing domestic animals to horrible conditions go against our Arab, Muslim and human values. It would have been more fitting for the Interior Ministry’s officers if they contacted animal rights organizations in Kuwait. Such organizations like PAWS and their members would have carried out humane procedures to control those bulls.
It is very shameful to abuse any animal whether domestic or livestock. To expose any animal to ‘human’ exploitation and neglect amounts to a violation of human rights. We need to maintain basic rights of animals. No real development can ever happen in our country unless we show our respect to God’s creatures.

Your View:
“For the last one week the people of Abbasiya (expats) faced irregular power cuts round the clock which caused damage to our electronics and electrical items. People cannot use elevators, pregnant ladies have to use steps to reach their flats, children cannot sleep.” (S.T).

“Jleeb Al Shuyouk is an area where 90 percent of the hospital nurses are staying with their families including infants and children, because of 7 Indian schools in the area. We do not have any place to complaint about the power cuts.” (Reader).

“There is another population that urgently needs help: Kuwait’s domestic animals. The responsibility lies with the government not only to enact laws to protect animals but to implement humane programs such as spay/neuter/release programs to control the local stray animal population.” (C).
khaledaljenfawi@yahoo.com