On my way home recently, I saw a heartbreaking scene in Jeddah's Al-Rehab District. Someone had tied a stray dog to the frame of a window. The dog looked desperate and paralyzed to the extent I thought it might already be dead. The place the dog was lying on was littered with trash and broken glass. I told my brother to stop the car and ask people standing around why the dog was tied up in such a cruel manner? Their answer was that because the dog posed a "threat" to people in the area, their solution was to simply tie him up. From the dog's pathetic state, it seemed as if he had been tortured. As soon as we got him some food and water, he immediately sat up and started eating. I could not help but wonder whether the people who committed such a cruel act had any humanity left in their souls. Did their religion not stop them from committing such a shameful act? Hadn't they heard of the hadith (prophetic teaching) of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him): "If someone kills so much as a sparrow or anything larger without a just cause, then Allah the Exalted will ask him about it on the Day of Resurrection." It was said, "O Messenger of Allah, what is a just cause?" The Prophet (pbuh) said, "A just cause is that you slaughter it for food, but you should not cut off its head and throw it aside." (Sunan al-Nasa'i 4445). Those people kept this dog for nothing but to make it suffer till death! As I sat there contemplating what to do, I couldn't help but wonder why there isn't an official authority or some sort of organization that people can report animal abuse to and that can rescue animals from such situations. There are animal lovers in the city who have formed groups to rescue animals but none receive any sort of government aid. As I soon learned, such groups often struggle as they have to finance and manage everything by themselves. I eventually managed to contact the Humane Society of Saudi Arabia, which is an association of animal lovers who rescue and heal animals voluntarily. When I called them, they immediately answered and arrangements were made for them to rescue the dog. However, since they were only a small number of people, they could not come instantly! If such groups were supported by the government, wouldn't it be much more effective? Until we have an official governmental organization to work together with associations in rescuing and sheltering stray cats and dogs, we should at least punish people who abuse animals. Isn't this issue worthy of the consideration of the government? If this dog was truly tortured, will the abusers ever be brought to justice? I believe that we are all aware of the horrible way that some cats are tortured by abusive people. Some of these cats have their tails cut off and despite what is obviously a widespread problem, have we ever heard of someone being punished for animal torture? Recently, two men in Dubai were filmed feeding a cat to hungry dogs as a punishment for the cat for eating their chickens. In response to the grisly video, Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum condemned the "brutal and cruel act" and ordered the men to clean a zoo for four hours a day for the next three months as a punishment. Why don't we try applying the same strategy here? Animal abusers do not have to be put in jail as there are alternative forms of punishment. To conclude, there is a well-known hadith of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) that underscores just how important it is for Muslims to be kind to animals. "A man suffered from thirst while he was walking on a journey. When he found a well, he climbed down into it and drank from it. Then he came out and saw a dog lolling its tongue from thirst and licking the ground. The man said: This dog has suffered thirst just as I have suffered from it. He climbed down into the well, filled his shoe with water, and caught it in his mouth as he climbed up. Then he gave the dog a drink. Allah appreciated this deed, so he forgave him." It was said, "O Messenger of Allah, is there a reward for charity even for the animals?" The Prophet (pbuh) said, "In every living being there is a reward for charity." (Sahih Al-Bukhari 5663, Sahih Muslim 2244)
