Dog owners in Egypt are howling in protest over a new law that could force them to surrender their pets within one month.
The “dangerous animals” law, formally known as the Regulation of Ownership of Dangerous Animals and Dogs Law, went into effect this week, banning most dog breeds. People who violate the law face heavy fines.
The law, which was imposed after a man was attacked and killed by a pit bull, allows ownership of only 10 breeds without owners having to undergo a “safety” inspection: cocker spaniels, Labradors, poodles, Malinois, Pomeranians, Jack Russells, white shepherds, Maltese, and Samoyeds. (The 10th breed could not be determined, owing to translation issues.)
Owners of certain breeds, including pit bulls, rottweilers, German shepherds, boxers, and huskies, have been given one month to surrender their pets. No details were announced as to what the General Authority for Veterinary Services will do with the animals. Nor was there any explanation as to why a German shepherd was prohibited, but a white shepherd (the same dog, but genetically bred to have a white coat) was okay.
Other breeds on the banned list include the Doberman, Alaskan malamute, Great Dane, Akita, Alabai (also known as the Central Asian shepherd), Dogo Argentino, cane corso, and Tosa.
“I was shocked by this law,” one pet owner told Al-Ahram, an Egyptian news site. “My dogs have never harmed anyone in their lives, and I entrusted their training to dog-behavior professionals. I raised them alongside my own children, so how can the law consider them to be a threat?”
The regulation also requires pet owners to pay registration fees of up to 50,000 Egyptian pounds ($1,618) per animal. If pet owners fail to register their dog and it attacks another person, they face a minimum of six months in prison. Should that attack result in a death, the minimum sentence is 10 years.
The law also bans exotic animals as pets, including cheetahs, tigers, lions, gorillas, chimpanzees, monkeys, crocodiles, turtles, venomous snakes, wolves, foxes, bears, pandas, and hippos.
“It’s like passing a law prohibiting people from driving cars because of a car accident,” Mona Khalil, chair of the Egyptian Society for Mercy to Animals (ESMA) told Al-Ahram.