A divisive bill regulating the ownership and breeding of dogs and other "dangerous animals" has come into effect in Egypt.
The dangerous animals bill requires owners of dogs – as well as animals such as lions and tigers – to pay fees and collar the animal with a metal tag.
They must register their pets with the country’s general veterinary authority at a cost of up to 50,000 Egyptian pounds ($1,618). The authority will conduct an inspection to decide how safe any dog is.
If a dog is considered unsafe, it will be confiscated by the state. The law did not specify whether confiscated dogs will be culled or moved to a shelter.
Only 10 breeds of dog will be approved for registration without the need for further inspection.
The amount will depend on the breed, although the way the fee will be determined has not been revealed.
The bill was ratified by the president late last month after receiving preliminary approval in parliament.
Under the new law, only cocker spaniels, labradors, poodles, malinois, pomeranians, Jack Russell terriers, great danes, white German shepherds, Maltese dogs and samoyeds will be allowed to be registered with no further inspections.
The breeds were chosen for their "friendly natures", according to the bill, released on May 29 in the Official Gazette.
Other dog breeds may also be registered if they are approved by the veterinary authority.
The authority retains the right to change the allowed list of breeds as it sees fit.
Egypt’s General Organisation for Veterinary Services has been appointed as the sole authority on dog ownership.
Owners are required under the new law to inform the state should their dogs run away, injure someone or have offspring.
Failures to notify the government will be punished by a fine between 10,000 and 500,000 Egyptian pounds, provided no injuries were caused by the owners’ infractions.
The penalties increase dramatically if an animal injures another person or damages property, amounting to a fine of between 30,000 and one million pounds as well as a possible minimum jail term of three months.
If an owner is to found to have deliberately initiated an attack but no injuries occur, they will be fined between 50,000 and one million pounds. The minimum will be increased to 100,000 pounds if the attack was premeditated.
'No dog is born dangerous'
The law has been met with outrage by some dog owners, with many arguing on social media that the law suggests all dogs are dangerous.
Some argued that the fees are too high, while others said they do not solve the country's dog-ownership problems.
"No breed of dog is born dangerous," wrote Facebook user Marja Everwijn. "They have to do something against the owners who raise their dogs up in a dangerous way and using them for dog fighting."
“I am all for regulating dog ownership in Egypt, but some owners are awful to their animals," said Nourhan El Sebai, 37, a dog owner who lives in Cairo. "I heard about these dog-fighting rings all over Cairo, which should definitely be looked into.”
Ahmed El Segeiny, the head of parliament’s local administration committee, called the bill "a historic law for Egypt as there has been a legislative gap when it comes to regulating dog ownership”.
He said stray dogs often group around heaps of rubbish in Cairo to find food, with dog numbers in the past decade reaching levels the state cannot handle.
He said the law is intended in part to control stray dog populations using “international standards”, rather than "inhumane" methods.
“This point has reassured me as a legislator that mass poisoning campaigns on street dogs, for instance, will not be used this time around,” he said.
An economic crisis is forcing many Egyptians to abandon their pets, Mira Gamal, owner of a Cairo dog shelter, told The National. She said the high fees could lead to more people abandoning their pets on the street.
In March, a dog owned by a television presenter attacked her neighbour in a gated community in the Greater Cairo district of 6 October. The owner was detained for four days and an investigation launched.
