If a new law passes in Egypt, having a pet may be effectively illegal for the majority of the country, which could lead to many to abandon their animals, in the worst case scenario.
The draft law proposes pet owners be obligated to register their pets which will cost between $32 to $1,600 (around AED 118 and 5,940 as per current rate). However, the specific criteria on which the fee will be based is yet to be announced.
If the registration cost set by the law regulating pet ownership falls at the higher end of that, as some are pushing for, that would be prohibitive for the majority of the country,
As stated by Paylab, the highest average monthly salary in Egypt is $567, making this cost incredibly high for most.
The law, while it officially covers ‘dangerous’ animals, includes ‘dogs’ along with ‘lions‘ and ‘tigers‘.
Why are officials proposing the dog license?
Officially speaking, this is about animal safety.
“Recent incidents involving such animals have resulted in people being hurt”, said MP Hesham Al Hosary,
Some believe this is an effort to curb illegal fighting.
“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 one resident to The National.
Animals will also have to wear a collar with metallic tags and be reported after getting any infectious disease.
What will happen if residents don’t comply?
Those who don’t follow the law would be fined $6470 and face a three-year jail sentence.
The Parliament hasn’t announced the date of the final voting yet, so we don’t know exactly how this will play out as of yet.
For now, the debate rages on…