Accidental killing of stray animals is not right; the fact that it is an accident does not in any way justify or validate the death of that innocent animal. I was hurt and shocked when I saw how cruelly animals were being treated here. Every day on my walk through the village, I see countless neglected, helpless animals. Here it is commonplace to see emaciated cats and dogs, and no one even bats an eyelash over it. Not only are these stray animals incredibly deprived, but also they are constantly mistreated and abused. These are killed senselessly- a prime example being that every two years, the mayor of the village takes his gun, goes out, and shoots as many dogs and cats as he can. The reason he gives for this slaughter: they make too much noise. Killing is always a problem, never a solution.

I wish I could say this issue is only prevalent in Morocco, but sadly this is not the case animal cruelty and neglect is rampant worldwide, especially in third world countries. Some people even believe because humans are higher on the food chain and of superior intellect, animals have no innate rights and human needs take precedence, so the cost of an animal life is beyond negligible. I am aware that animal rights is a sensitive topic in some countries, and many people will argue that people come first therefore animals rights are not an important issue. However, because one believes that human rights take precedence that does not mean that one must go to the extreme of neglecting and abusing animals. I operate under the belief that people should respect all of God’s creations, including animals and nature. As humans, we tend to get caught up in a self-centered state of mind when it comes to sharing this world that we were all given. Everything deserves respect and proper care. The Prophet Muhammad said:

“A prostitute once saw a dog on a very hot day going round and round a well, lolling its tongue because of its thirst. She drew some water for it using her shoe, and for this action all her sins were forgiven her.”

“A woman was once punished after death because of a cat which she had kept confined until it died, and because of this she entered the Fire. She had neither given it food or drink while confining it, nor had she let it free to eat the creatures of the earth.”

Lack of close, personal interactions with animals is the main reason why people do not care about animals in underdeveloped communities. Members of developed communities create and maintain close relationships with animals, because they grow up playing with their pets, walking them, and caring for them. In the third world, this is not the case; they do not care for animals or empathize with them. While traveling to several third world countries, I witnessed young people beating dogs and cats, and sometimes purposefully running them over with their cars.

All animals should be treated with respect and kindness. I believe a good solution to this problem is for individuals and governments to educate the public about the proper care for animals, and establish institutions to support animal welfare. Here are some ideas that would help provide a good life for animals (pet animals in particular):

1. Why don’t we build a petting zoo with dogs and cats? This would help the country economically and in terms of tourism. This zoo would be a landmark and attract much attention from locals as well as tourists. Major animal rights organizations could participate in taking care of the animals by providing them with suitable feed and water, as well as healthy psychological and physical living conditions. Animal rights activisists could help with making sure the dogs are treated for sicknesses and disease like dog diarrhea , as well as helping to make sure they are appropriately hygienic for the zoo. A great example of a park like this is Japan Bear Parks. These parks take care of their animals in the same way I described, as well as serve as a source of entertainment to the public. Every day, more and more puppies and kittens are born from mothers who are already starvingand cannot properly feed them or take care of them, and these puppies will go on to live the same life as their parents. However, if we established free veterinary care and clinics, then we could really make a huge change.

2. In some countries, people are simply not aware of animal rights. It would be a great idea if the world established a unifying organization just for pets’ rights and put their minds together coming up with ideas on how to effectively protect their rights.

3. In other countries, the animal rights situation is even worse, because people outright do not care about animals, and actively seek to hurt them. However, in Europe and the U.S.A, people generally care about animals very deeply. This creates the perfect platform for establishing an international market organization in which we buy animals from careless countries, and sell them to people/countries that can properly care for their well being, and treat them to the way of life they deserve. I believe this is a great idea, because whether or not owning pets is looked down upon differs from one culture to another, so this international market would reach other a wide variety of cultures, increasing the chance that the dog or cat will find its forever home.

To wrap up, I am a firm believer that every part of nature deserves relevantly appropriate rights. I wish to address this topic again in the future; as I feel it deserves more attention, because this is not an issue only in Morocco. In North America, millions of animals are cruelly packed into unsanitary, inhumane quarters daily and killed in factories.