Domenick Scudera: Stop the Massacre of Stray Animals in Egypt

The images are brutal. Dogs shot in the streets, left to die in pools of their own blood. The new governor of Alexandria in Egypt, on his first day in office, ordered that the streets be culled of stray dogs. Ruthlessly, these innocent animals were gunned down one by one in a horrible massacre. [Warning: some of these images are embedded later in this post.]

This is not the kind of imagery that normally fills my Facebook feed. As an animal lover, my friends post pictures of puppies and kittens romping, acting adorably, being loved. But a few days ago, my Facebook page was inundated with pictures of murdered dogs on the streets of Egypt. Pictures emerged from Alexandria, Cairo and elsewhere. Shocked and outraged by what they were witnessing, my Egyptian Facebook friends spread pictures all over social media to bring awareness to the situation.

In the comfort of my American home, my impulse was to skip past these pictures. But one friend, Laila, pleaded: “DONT LOOK AWAY — this is what our animals go through … Killing innocent souls has become the norm in Egypt.”

CART – the Cairo Animals Rescue Team – posted graphic videos, stating: “THAT’S WHAT HAPPENS IN EGYPT KILLING DOGS BY GUN SHOTS / ATTENTION Mr. President / That’s what happened in your country ‘the country of the 7k years of civilization’ by the hands of your government.”

I became internet friends with these compassionate Egyptians last year when I adopted a baladi dog from Egypt. My dog was one of the lucky ones, despite having his back legs amputated. He managed to survive the harsh treatment of stray animals in Egypt. His name is Lucky. He was given this name by the kind woman who rescued him, had him treated and sent to the United States.

This latest massacre is nothing new. Dogs and cats in Egypt are routinely beaten, poisoned, or shot. However, from what I can gather, this new wave of killing was widespread and sudden. The violence was particularly shocking, filling the streets with blood and carcasses.

Ancient Egyptians revered their cats and dogs. No more. When I adopted Lucky, I asked Marwa, his rescuer, why she had him sent to the United States. Her answer was simple and direct: “Egypt isn’t a good place for animals.”

I am not turning a blind eye to our own American problems with pet overpopulation. But, at the very least, our strays are brought to shelters where they have a chance at adoption. Spaying and neutering is widely encouraged to minimize the amount of the unwanted. Many pets are euthanized in the United States each year, it is true. But a third of all American households have pets. They are part of the fabric of our lives.

As I write this, my Lucky dog is sitting next to me, sleeping contentedly on his plush dog bed. A world away, Lucky’s brothers and sisters are being slaughtered. On one hand, I feel helpless in my desire to help these animals. On the other hand, I have a sense of obligation to do something. This post is, in one small way, an attempt to raise awareness of the slaughter of these innocents.

What can we do? Sign petitions. Encourage shelters and neutering programs. Adopt. Pressure Egyptian officials to act humanely.

And, of course, we should not forget our own pets here in the United States. In addition to my Egyptian dog, I have three other American dogs and three American cats. I cannot take in every unwanted animal. But if we all do our part, we can make a difference in animal suffering of here and abroad. For every puppy that you see in a video on Facebook cuddling adorably, there is another animal somewhere else in much worse circumstances. Laila and Marwa and others are working tirelessly in Egypt to make a difference. We can do our part here in America. Don’t look away.