ABU DHABI // Jail terms and heavy fines for people convicted of animal abuse are a welcome sign of the Government’s commitment to animal welfare, activists said.
Individuals who are found guilty of abusing or the illegal hunting, buying or selling of animals face a heavier fine of Dh200,000 (up from Dh5,000) and a one-year prison term under Federal Law 18, which was issued late last year.
The use of an animal for scientific experiment without an official permit is subject to a fine of between Dh50,000 and Dh200,000 and a one-year prison sentence.
Sheikh Saif bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, and the Government were quick to respond to calls to enact legal reform to improve animal welfare, said Dr Manal Al Mansoori, the Emirati head of the Dubai Animal Welfare Group.
About two months ago, the group began posting video footage of abused animals on its Instagram account and sought Sheikh Saif’s support.
“He was one of the people who were very quick in responding and pushing for the law to come out,” said Dr Al Mansoori, adding that amendments to the 2007 law were being drafted at the time. Recent incidents of animal abuse that went viral online helped to further the group’s cause. “We started doing some campaigns and we were surprised with the [quick] response,” she said.
To the group’s delight, Sheikh Saif posted photos of a beehive in his garden online. “If you don’t hurt it, it won’t hurt you,” he said.
Dr Al Mansoori said that “was a strong message to society that you don’t need to abuse animals”.
The Emirates Association For Lawyers and Legal Consultants voiced their support for the legal reform and have suggested printing brochures about the legal amendments.
“A number of famous lawyers said they would be appearing on television to talk about it,” said Dr Al Mansoori.
Fawaz Kanaan, an animal welfare activist, said animal abusers had not been deterred by the current penalties.
“People were not afraid of the law, so action was required. It reached a stage where there were so many reports filed to police and people were showing off who was abusing more animals,” he said. “Last month four cats were shot.”
He reported the incidents to Dubai Police but evidence was lacking. Although Mr Kanaan believed that the tougher penalties would be a stronger deterrent, the law should be made clear to as many people, and in as many languages, as possible.
“It is a very wise decision, but not everyone has heard of it,” said Mr Kanaan, who said he had to rescue a cat that was being choked by a wire wrapped around its neck since the new law was issued.
“It was in an industrial area, so it could have been one of the labourers there,” he said, adding that workers should be briefed on the law because many did not read newspapers.
Mr Kanaan, who started the Save Dubai Stray Cats page on Facebook, will be holding an event to raise awareness about safeguarding animals on February 3 at Zaabeel Park in Dubai. Participants will be briefed on the law.
hdajani@thenational.ae
The five pillars of Islam
MATCH INFO
Liverpool 2 (Van Dijk 18', 24')
Brighton 1 (Dunk 79')
Red card: Alisson (Liverpool)
Zayed Sustainability Prize
TWISTERS
Director:+Lee+Isaac+Chung
Starring:+Glen+Powell,+Daisy+Edgar-Jones,+Anthony+Ramos
Rating:+2.5/5
Normcore explained
Something of a fashion anomaly, normcore is essentially a celebration of the unremarkable. The term was first popularised by an article in New York magazine in 2014 and has been dubbed “ugly”, “bland’ and "anti-style" by fashion writers. It’s hallmarks are comfort, a lack of pretentiousness and neutrality – it is a trend for those who would rather not stand out from the crowd. For the most part, the style is unisex, favouring loose silhouettes, thrift-shop threads, baseball caps and boyish trainers. It is important to note that normcore is not synonymous with cheapness or low quality; there are high-fashion brands, including Parisian label Vetements, that specialise in this style. Embraced by fashion-forward street-style stars around the globe, it’s uptake in the UAE has been relatively slow.
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Revibe
Started: 2022
Founders: Hamza Iraqui and Abdessamad Ben Zakour
Based: UAE
Industry: Refurbished electronics
Funds raised so far: $10m
Investors: Flat6Labs, Resonance and various others
Founders: Ines Mena, Claudia Ribas, Simona Agolini, Nourhan Hassan and Therese Hundt
Date started: January 2017, app launched November 2017
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Private/Retail/Leisure
Number of Employees: 18 employees, including full-time and flexible workers
Funding stage and size: Seed round completed Q4 2019 - $1m raised
Funders: Oman Technology Fund, 500 Startups, Vision Ventures, Seedstars, Mindshift Capital, Delta Partners Ventures, with support from the OQAL Angel Investor Network and UAE Business Angels
Manchester City (0) v Liverpool (3)
Uefa Champions League, quarter-final, second leg
Where: Etihad Stadium
When: Tuesday, 10.45pm
Live on beIN Sports HD
ROUTE TO TITLE
Round 1: Beat Leolia Jeanjean 6-1, 6-2
Round 2: Beat Naomi Osaka 7-6, 1-6, 7-5
Round 3: Beat Marie Bouzkova 6-4, 6-2
Round 4: Beat Anastasia Potapova 6-0, 6-0
Quarter-final: Beat Marketa Vondrousova 6-0, 6-2
Semi-final: Beat Coco Gauff 6-2, 6-4
Final: Beat Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 6-2
Hamilton’s 2017
Australia - 2nd; China - 1st; Bahrain - 2nd; Russia - 4th; Spain - 1st; Monaco - 7th; Canada - 1st; Azerbaijan - 5th; Austria - 4th; Britain - 1st; Hungary - 4th; Belgium - 1st; Italy - 1st; Singapore - 1st; Malaysia - 2nd; Japan - 1st; United States - 1st; Mexico - 9th
BIRD BOX BARCELONA
Directors: David and Alex Pastor
Stars: Georgina Campbell, Mario Casas, Diego Calva
Rating: 2/5
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
The specS: 2018 Toyota Camry
Price: base / as tested: Dh91,000 / Dh114,000
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 298hp @ 6,600rpm
Torque: 356Nm @ 4,700rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
THE TWIN BIO
Their favourite city: Dubai
Their favourite food: Khaleeji
Their favourite past-time : walking on the beach
Their favorite quote: ‘we rise by lifting others’ by Robert Ingersoll
Our Time Has Come
Alyssa Ayres, Oxford University Press
Company Profile
Company name: Namara
Started: June 2022
Founder: Mohammed Alnamara
Based: Dubai
Sector: Microfinance
Current number of staff: 16
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Family offices
Padmaavat
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Jim Sarbh
3.5/5