A video has been widely shared online showing two guys taunting a younger boy to push a kitten off the roof of a building in Lebanon. The footage caused uproar on social media, as the events come mere weeks after AUB's serial cat killer was caught, and the media condemned a man torturing a puppy on video .
While the government remains deadlocked about electing a president, drafting an electoral law, and finding a solution for a mounting trash crisis, a law protecting animals proposed by Animals Lebanon has been put on hold. Current Lebanese law punishes an animal abuser by having him pay a fine of no more than $15. The NGO found that the law had never been applied.
"It's tough to put this as a priority when lots of things are going on in Lebanon," Jason Mier, Director of the NGO, told StepFeed.
But although legislation may be lagging, private citizens are encouraged to start cultivating an environment of respect for animals in their own homes.
"It's not a cultural thing," Mier said about the instances of animal brutality in Lebanon. "It's not [in] the Lebanese mentality. It's mainly about [a lack] in education."
Animals Lebanon actively seeks to foster a sense of respect and compassion between man and animals by allowing intereted people to care for or adopt mainly either cats or dogs that were abandoned by their previous owners or rescued from dire situations. The NGO also welcomes the public to their offices to pet the cats who live there.
"The best way to teach kids to respect animals is through adoption," Mier said.
The director also encouraged citizens to stop visiting pet shops, zoos, and circuses, due to the abusive conditions animals are subjected to. According to Mier, most pet shops in Lebanon operate without licenses and subject caged animals to unspeakable abuse. Mier also warned Lebanese from going to the circus, which could be susceptible to violations.