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| An "ambassador" greeting us at TOL. :) |
It’s no secret that animal cruelty is endemic
in Egypt. Anyone who has been here can
tell you that. From dogs to donkeys, cats
to cows, it’s almost impossible not
to witness an act of cruelty or neglect on a daily basis. I know this isn’t unique to Egypt, and that cruelty
to animals exists all over the world.
But the sheer magnitude and visibility of the problem here is overwhelming. In fact, it’s so commonplace that many
Egyptians don’t even consider it to be an issue. Like sexual harassment, it’s a fact of life,
not a “problem.”
Examples of brutality to animals include
but are not limited to: senselessly beating donkeys that are too “stupid” to
obey their masters; beating, torturing, poisoning and shooting stray dogs; spraying
toxic chemicals on dogs and cats causing them blindness; starving “work animals”
such as donkeys, horses, and cows; transporting hordes of cattle, sheep, and
donkeys in pickup trucks. I’m sure there
are other examples of abusive acts, but I’m incapable of imagining them.
