I work professionally with animals and am able to recognize their health state. I saw many sick animals in pet shops (ear mites, dermatology problems etc.). Owners of pet shops try to sell every animal and don’t care if these animals are healthy or not. For example I found very old blind and sick dog for sale (it was chivava, they wanted 10000 SR for him in his bad condition!), very sick female with five 7 days old puppies (I decided to save this dog family so I bought them for 6500 SR), many cats and rabbits with dermatologist problems, cats with ear mites and a few exotic animals living in terrible conditions (vulture, porcupine, monkeys, baby-crocodiles). It is a problem that the most of employees are without education and experiences with animals. These employees don’t know how to take care about animals and therefore animals suffer. And I heard already many lies from them – they are able to tell you „this is a puppy of poodle“ but I see that this puppy „didn’t even come around” this kind of dog. Also everybody must be careful with veterinarians in pet shops – one man has told me he is veterinarian but I got to know he isn’t.
Pet shops take puppies from dog-farms in Saudi Arabia or from abroad. Imagine that there are living approximately 80 dogs in each farm and they are breeding each other. You cannot have any certainty what kind of race you will buy in pet shop. Transported dogs from abroad are poor dogs also. Businessmen use to take very young puppies from their mothers and transport them by airplane. It is very unhealthy for psyche of these puppies. I know family which ordered a puppy of bischon through a pet shop and they got the puppy with parvovirus (the puppy died in 3 days after transport). They tried it again in 2 years and got puppy with pneumonia (she survived thanks to treatment in the end).
Many animals from pet shops have psychic problems because they were long time closed in small space of cages without enough water, without good care, without stroke and under stress. Now it is a question – help these animals and buy them or rather no? An answer is very difficult because if you buy a dog or a cat you will help this concrete animal but next day it will be replaced by other two. You helped the animal but you supported business with animals at the same time.
The other problem in Saudi Arabia is that cats and dogs without owner run around. They are the victims of irresponsible people who left them behind. Programs for castrations and checking of these animals are the best human solution. At the same time it is very important to teach people (especially young generation) to be responsible.
I am convinced it is necessary to do some education project for children in schools, prepare information flyers for pet shops´ clients etc. People should take information how to take care about animals and what conditions animals need for happy long life. It is important to explain the people that dogs, cats and other animals are alive creatures like we are and specially dogs and cats like to follow us and be with us. It is very bad to close them to cages and kennels and leave them closed in this “prison” the biggest part of their lives. They need to move, to play, they love our company.
Animals have similar feelings like we have...they can love us, they know to cry, they feel pain, they feel happiness. They are alive creatures like we are and they have the same right to good life.
More photos: Photogallery - We help
Marcela, Riyadh
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