Pet abusers face jail and BD2,000 fine in Bahrain

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

People who torture, harm or mistreat pets, including cats, can face jail and a fine of up to BD2,000 under Bahrain’s animal protection laws, lawyer Zainab Al Barri has said.

Ms Al Barri said Bahrain’s Law Regulating the Keeping of Pets, Dangerous Animals and Fierce Dogs bans the torture, harming, mistreatment or killing of pets without lawful cause.

She cited Article 14 of the law, which states: ‘It is prohibited to torture, harm or mistreat a pet, dangerous animal or fierce dog. It is also prohibited to kill any of them without cause, or to refrain from providing suitable food, veterinary care or mandatory vaccinations as determined by the competent authority.’

Article 16 of the same law provides for imprisonment, a fine of up to BD2,000, or either penalty, for breaches of Article 14 and other listed provisions.

Ms Al Barri said any person found to have abused, harmed or killed a pet, including a cat, without lawful reason could therefore be held criminally liable, with the penalty left to the court according to the facts of each case.

She also pointed to Article 415 of Bahrain’s Penal Code, issued under Decree-Law No. 15 of 1976, which states that anyone who intentionally kills a tame or domesticated animal without cause, or causes it serious harm, faces jail for up to one year or a fine of up to BD100.

The offence, she said, covers deliberate acts such as beating, poisoning, burning, starving or gross neglect, as well as any conduct that causes physical or psychological harm to the animal.

Ms Al Barri said Bahrain’s legal framework shows that the protection of pets is not only a moral duty, but also a legal one linked to public order, mercy and respect for living creatures.

She said owners and those responsible for animals must provide food, water, shelter and proper health care, and must not expose animals to pain, neglect or abuse.

She added that protecting cats and other pets was a shared duty between individuals and bodies concerned with animal welfare, and called for firm application of the law alongside greater public awareness of kindness to animals.