Egyptian Court to Rule on Banning Mass-Poisoning of Stray Animals Next Month

In what could well be a landmark case, Egypt's Administrative Court is set to issue a ruling on a lawsuit demanding a government ban on the indiscriminate culling of stray animals, as well as an immediate halt of exports to countries that consume canine meat, on July 31st.

The lawsuit, filed by lawyer Mostafa Shabaan and a number of animal rights activists, was taken to court after news spread of Egyptian stray dogs were to be exported South Korea for consumption, as well as a number of campaigns in different Cairo suburbs that saw tens of stray animals meet their death.

With an estimated stray animal population of over 15 million, Egypt's Health Ministry revealed that 480,000 cases of citizens being bitten by animals were recorded in 2018 - an increase of 50,000 from 2017. However, what the claimants in the lawsuit are demanding is a more humane approach to solving the issue, one that doesn't involve mass killing.