RIYADH — People who torture and maim animals should be named and shamed in addition to other legal sanctions, the Shoura Council said in a closed session on Tuesday. The council noted that some people would not only torture animals but film their actions and upload the clips on social media for others to watch. The council, meeting under its deputy speaker Mohammed Bin Amin Al-Jiffry, listened to two separate reports presented by its committee on water, agriculture and environment. The committee's chairman Ali Al-Tikhais delivered the two reports. He asked the council to approve adding the power to name and shame to the list of penalties included in the law of wildlife protection. He said naming animal torturers would act as an effective deterrent. Tikhais said if the criminals were not severely punished and named, their peers might believe such actions are permissible under the law. The Shoura Council took up the matter after several video clips showing cruelty to animals went viral on the Internet, creating outrage in society. A video clip showing a man running over a dog several times with his four-wheel drive until the animal died in Al-Jouf region earlier this year prompted a strong reaction among tweeters who called for the man and the person who filmed the incident to be brought to justice. The tweeters described the act as “inhumane” and urged the authorities to take action. The incident took place in a desert area. Another clip circulated on social media showed a driver dragging a dog that was tied to his fast-moving vehicle on a street. The tweeters asked the Saudi Wildlife Authority (SWA), responsible for the conservation and development of wildlife, to develop strong laws that would lead to harsh penalties for anyone who tortures animals. A number of lawyers called for the incident to be investigated and for the culprits to be found and charged with endangering wildlife in the Kingdom and said the act was against the teachings of Islam. They also said the act was a violation of the country's laws and regulations and also urged asked the SWA to develop tough laws against animal cruelty.
