Egyptians divided over proposed $1,600 dog licence

Parliament backs draft law after MP speaks of attacks

The legislation would require dog owners in Egypt to register their animals with relevant authorities after paying fees. Mahmoud Nasr / The National

A draft law to regulate the ownership of dogs and other animals in Egypt proposes owners pay a fee of between 1,000 and 50,000 Egyptian pounds ($32 to $1,600) to register their animals with the state.

The draft, which was given preliminary approval in parliament on Sunday, was presented to provide a legislative framework to deal with dangerous animals after “recent incidents involving such animals have resulted in people being hurt”, said MP Hesham Al Hosary, head of the agriculture and water resources committee.

The law was drafted and presented in Parliament by Mr Al Hosary.

The legislation would require dog owners, and owners of animals such as lions and tigers, to register them with the authorities, pay fees and collar the animal with a metal tag.

The fee would depend on the breed, but the exact criteria on how the fee will be determined was not revealed.

The draft stipulates that all unregistered animals be disclosed as soon as possible.

It requires that applicants for the new licence be at least 16 years of age, that they never leave their animals unattended in public and they take the necessary steps to ensure their housing is secure enough so the animals cannot stray.

Owners would have to tell the authorities if their animals were diagnosed with an infectious disease.

Those who break the law could be sentenced to three years in jail and fined 200,000 Egyptian pounds.

During his address in Parliament on Sunday, Mr Al Hosary said his decision to draft a law was influenced by incidents involving animals that resulted in injuries to humans.

In March, a dog owned by a television presenter attacked her neighbour in a gated community in the Greater Cairo district of 6th October. The male victim is in a coma with severe injuries.

The owner was detained for four days and an investigation was launched.

Many Egyptians took to social media to share their experiences of dog attacks and call for tougher regulations.

Others defended dog ownership and called for tighter controls on how people treat their animals.

An economic crisis is forcing many Egyptians to abandon their pets, Mira Gamal, the owner of a shelter in Cairo, told The National.

So, there are concerns that the high fees required by the proposal will deter would-be dog owners.

“I am all for regulating dog ownership in Egypt, but some owners are awful to their animals. I heard about these dogfighting rings all over Cairo, which should definitely be looked into,” said Nourhan El Sebai, 37, an owner of two dogs who lives in Cairo.

“But why would owners be required to pay such a high fee? Fifty thousand pounds is not a small sum by any means, especially right now. So, I think this will make many people abandon their animals on the streets — as many already do.”

The date of the final vote on the draft law was not announced by Parliament.