Economic meltdown in Lebanon leaves pets homeless
In Lebanon's ongoing economic collapse, hundreds of cats and dogs are thrown into the streets every month.
A large number of Lebanese animal rights activists who are taking to social media platforms to express their frustration say that Lebanon's cats and dogs "are not fine at all." The activists say that the situation "has become unbearable, and there is no way to rescue them except by deporting them from a country riddled with economic, political and humanitarian woes, through relevant international associations.”
Animal rights activist Ghina Nahfawi said, “Before the October 17 revolution in 2019, and before the Lebanese people started struggling with a turmoil of economic collapse, hunger and unemployment, animal rights were already suffering. There were many stray cats and dogs, and even the relevant municipalities did not play their role, unlike municipalities of developed countries. They did not castrate the males or spay the females to avoid reproduction, leading to a crisis in the streets and areas where these animals live. Most animals are hit by cars, tortured or suffer from malnutrition, food poisoning and contagious diseases.”
On the issue of killing stray animals, in 2017, members of the health detachment in the municipality of Ghobeiry south of Beirut killed stray dogs with poison on the pretext of people’s complaints and to preserve the safety of citizens.
“Killing animals in the streets is still common, and such incidents happen from time to time, especially with the increase in the number of pets thrown out of houses,” Nahfawi said.
