Unknown men went into an industrial compound and opened fire at innocent animals, killing 27 dogs, Qatar Animal Rescue says for Kurir
As Qatar prepares to organize the World Cup in association football, animal rights activists in this country are outraged. An open secret has emerged that they have been trying to raise awareness of for years.
The activists that the Kurir editorial staff have contacted claim that there is an initiative that the country is stray dog-free by the start of the World Cup, with the means used to accomplish this being brutal and inhumane.
Fear
"Qatar has for years had drives to 'clear' the streets of stray dogs, but this year the number of killed dogs has reached hundreds," Qatar Animal Rescue said in an interview with Kurir, adding:
"There have been multiple shootings of innocent animals, as testified by the security guards working at the buildings and construction sites where the shootings occurred. People who work there are mostly scared for their lives or of losing their jobs so, as an organization, it's difficult for us to get the recordings, but we've managed to obtain some proof of these monstrous actions," the organization said to Kurir.
The shootings mostly take place in isolated parts of Doha, although there has been a case where the police got into the headquarters of a big construction company and opened fire at all the dogs in the compound, which the workers in the building had been keeping and feeding, according to our Doha sources. On the occasion, the security personnel managed to hide two puppies but, sadly, some ten dogs were not that lucky.
"The recordings that we have sent show how the dogs are very brutally dragged on the ground, but no one has ever been able to find out where they are taken, just like no one has ever been able to get to a dog that's been dragged off in this way. Everything points to them being killed. The latest massacre of dogs has drawn a lot of attention because four unknown men went into an industrial compound and opened fire at innocent animals, killing 27 dogs. They threatened security guards that they would come back and get all the dogs in the vicinity. The security guards notified us as an organization and wanted to inform the police, but the company that owns the factory silenced them with threats," our source said.
Foreign nationals are leaving
Activists fear that the number of dogs killed in this way could be much bigger, but that it all comes down to the lack of a law defending animal rights.
"People leave Qatar in large numbers and leave animals behind because they have no one to give them to, or they don't have enough money to take them to their destination country. People here, however, cannot rehome thousands of dogs because the prices of veterinarian services are extraordinarily high, and the veterinarians' knowledge is highly questionable. Furthermore, most of the buildings aren't 'pet-friendly', so the owners ask the people to 'get rid' of the animals. We've heard claims that if the police pass by and see the dogs abandoned in this way, or someone reports them, they just get shot."
Appeal for help
Qatar Animal Rescue said to Kurir that they had been trying to get in touch with PETA and other well-known and recognized global organizations for the protection of animal rights, such as Lady Freethinker, but they have received no reply.
"We need help to put pressure on the Qatar Government to change the law or pass a new a new one under which it is unacceptable to have someone going down a street killing dogs."
A.K.