Khaberni - The incident of killing a group of cats after they were poisoned inside the university restaurant in Kairouan province, central Tunisia, sparked outrage on social media, amid calls for an investigation and taking strict measures against such "brutal and harsh" treatment.
Videos showed the cats struggling to death and dying after consuming food suspected to be mixed with a poisonous substance, leading to their unconsciousness, before their tragic death.
The scenes caused a wave of anger and frustration among users, especially within student circles and animal rights organizations, who were appalled by the "brutal and deliberate" way in which the cats were disposed of.
In this context, a blogger named Faiza Zarouki commented, "A gruesome crime unfit for an academic institution, is poisoning street cats instead of looking for other alternatives really the solution?", while the user Fouad Bou Ghanem described the circulating clips, saying, "Disgusting scenes that reflect a lack of mercy."
Meanwhile, activist Ziyad Al Ayadi called on the parliament to urgently enact a strict law that criminalizes assault on animals and punishes it with imprisonment for no less than two years, for anyone daring to assault voiceless animals, by killing and torturing them.
In response to this, the Animal Compassion Society, today, Thursday, announced that it has filed a lawsuit against the administrative official at the university restaurant Ibn El Jazzar in Kairouan, considering what happened as a serious assault on animals and a blatant violation of relevant laws and conventions.
Complaints about the increasing number of stray cats and dogs in public spaces recur in Tunisia, and in the absence of alternative solutions like establishing shelters, some administrations or municipalities resort to eliminating them by shooting or poisoning, which is a topic that stirs wide controversy between those who see it as protection for public health, and opponents who consider it a violation of animal rights and an overstep of the laws.
