With resources running exhaust, animal rescue groups here are in need of a charity status. Laxity in enforcing animal right laws and procedures are putting a huge strain on their work, according to many of those involved in animal rescue.
Animal abuse is a crime in Qatar that is punishable through fines and jail terms. However, the concerned laws are not put into practice, resulting in increased animal abuse.
“We have the GCC unified law for animal rights protection and there are some other laws too but none of these are enforced. There is no mechanism in place to ensure the safety and protection of these animals. You mistreat an animal and there is none to question you; also there is no one to whom we can turn for help,” said Abdullah Al Naemi, the founder of 2nd Chance Rescue, one of the animal shelters here and Parkview Pet Center, veterinary clinic.
Slackness in animal-rights law enforcement is one of the major reasons for the increasing number of animals in rescue homes in Qatar. People see pets as disposable goods and are often left to face the harsh conditions outside when families leave the country either on vacation or leave for good.
However, many leaving the country are forced to abandon their pets due to long time to get clearance to transport their pets. Airfares are also exorbitant according to Louis-Francois Martine from PAWS rescue team.
“If laws come, various procedures for transporting these animals would be more streamlined. Here we need to wait for at least three months to get a clearance to transport animals, while in some other countries in the region, this can be done in maximum one month. The airline charges are also high. It is due to these tiring procedures, many of the people leave their pets here,” Martine told The Peninsula.
Given the conditions, animal rescue groups here are in dire need for an NGO or charity status, which would help running the facilities uninterrupted. Currently, all these facilities are always running out of space and money, at times forcing members to accommodate some at their homes. According to the rescue workers, there is no office to get their organisation registered.
Also to get a charity status, financial and local support is needed. Bureaucracy and paper work involved is also a major hurdle. Hence, these facilities are always running out of space and money.
“It is a vicious circle. At this point we actually need to have a charity status to run these facilities. There is no particular office to monitor or audit what we do. Then we have huge number of animals turning up for shelter, with the unenforced laws.
There is the GCC unified law, but is not still ratified by the government,” said Jennet Berry, founder of Qatar Animal Welfare Society (QAWS). A charity status would help these organisations get corporate sponsorship, financial support and better management. Currently the groups rely on donations in the form of food, gifts and toiletries.
A registration would help organisations to hold public awareness campaigns on animal rights, which would help reduce animal abuse.
They could also lobby for reducing airline and vet charges, according to rescuers.
“Authorities need to realise that we are serving the country, making it more civilised," said Al Naemi.
