Dog killing in Kahrizak: From denial to threats

The denial, justification, and explanation of dog abuse continues. The police called themselves the guardians of animal welfare and said they would arrest the person who released the video of the dog killing. Animal rights activists have called for humane dog population control in a petition.

Animal rights groups continue to protest the killing of dogs with acid in Kahrizak, but officials continue to deny the incident. Tehran Police Chief Hossein Rahimi says the person who posted the images of the dog killing and hurt public opinion will be arrested soon. He also announced that the police will deal with any kind of animal abuse and “disturbance to animals,” and urged people to report any information about animal abuse to the police.

This comes as a demonstration by those protesting animal cruelty in front of Tehran Municipality resulted in the arrest of a number of protesters. Police say the protesters did not have a permit and were chanting insulting slogans against the officers. Protesters held another demonstration in front of Kahrizak Municipality, which ended peacefully.

Shahrbanoo Amani, a member of Tehran City Council, wrote that the protesters had the right to gather because citizens' feelings were hurt by the killing of animals. She also called for the identity of those who attacked the peaceful gathering to be determined. 

In a video posted online on August 15, officers are seen injecting stray dogs with acid and killing them. The incident is said to take place in Kahrizak.

Mohammad Reza Tabesh, head of the parliamentary environment faction, has complained about the government and judiciary's delay in presenting a bill to ban animal cruelty, citing the repeated killing of dogs in Iranian cities. According to the bill, which was drafted a year and a half ago, animal torture and abuse, beatings, imprisonment, mutilation, sexual abuse, abandoning animals, conducting scientific experiments without a license, training for show use, and several other cases are prohibited and considered crimes.

Petition against dog killing

Meanwhile, a group of animal rights advocates have prepared a petition addressed to environmental officials in Tehran province and the capital's municipality. The signatories of the petition have called the organized killing of homeless dogs a cause of great concern for conscientious people and have written: "We ask you to make arrangements to end these killings as soon as possible and to use a more humane and ethical method to control the population of these loyal animals."

The signatories of this petition have expressed their readiness to serve in the direction of favorable living conditions for dogs by proposing methods such as building more shelters, providing more facilities for assistance, and sterilizing homeless animals.

However, Kahrizak Mayor Esmail Nematzadeh denied abusing the dogs and neutering them, saying: "We are not upset about the municipality that has been accused, but rather we are complaining about playing with the feelings of innocent people and the tender souls of the people, who have been disgusted and upset by watching the film." Nematzadeh has also threatened to sue actor Parviz Parastoi for his comments about the Kahrizak municipality.

Parastoi wrote, among other things: "...If this animal is disturbing peace and comfort, is the only way to kill it? ... I don't know whose foot this animal's tongue-tied foot belongs to, but I can only say that it doesn't smell of humanity."

Pirouz Hanachi, the mayor of the capital, says the video of the dog killing in Kahrizak was filmed two years ago and that the relevant contractor has been dealt with. Elham Fakhari, a member of the Tehran City Council, however, wrote on Twitter: “The violation occurred regardless of the date, and the reaction of the people and activists to it is appropriate because killing animals is a crime.”

Arash Milani, head of the Tehran City Council's Urban Services Committee, also said: "I will definitely follow up on the matter to the end, and those responsible for this disaster in the municipality and its contractors will face serious organizational action."

Critical feedback

On social media, the rally for dogs has been viewed from another angle. Some have viewed the wave of protests against animal cruelty with suspicion and have considered the issue a distraction from other realities in society. One citizen wrote on Twitter: “If the killing of humans in Kahrizak was as important to you as the killing of dogs in Kahrizak, perhaps many things would be different now.”

Another user writes: "Nothing is in its place in this country. Some people went to protest for the rights of dogs, but the system itself treats them like dogs."

One person wrote to the protesters: "... How many of you are unemployed, how many of you have been eating meatless stew at home for a while? How many of you are aware of your family's debt?"

Karbi also points out the injustice and corruption in urban management and the poverty and hunger of some people in every corner of the capital: "Where are those who chant slogans like this for dogs in terms of supporting humans? Where does this protest fit into civility?"

Journalist and author Nader Fatorechi has also called the protesters “pet lovers.” He says that keeping dogs and cats in big cities is a “fashion or a modern gesture” for a small group and does not lead to a change in the priorities of the entire society or a change in the definition of an animal. Addressing “those who are passionate about the priority of humans over nature,” he writes in a tweet: “If your love for animals is not a gesture, you should also condemn the industrial slaughter of animals for the sake of a luxurious life, rather than being passionate about a lifestyle that is based on the industrial dimensions of slaughter.”

Source: DW