CRUELTY
Animal Rights Laws
Pet Shop Complaints
Reporting animal cruelty
Vet Complaints

LOST/FOUND ANIMALS
Injured Animal
Lost Pet
Found Lost Pet

STRAY ANIMALS
Found a Stray
Feeding Strays
Strays in Your Area

DEAD ANIMALS
Found a Dead Animal
Pet Passed Away

PET CARE
GENERAL PET CARE
Getting a pet
Student Living Alone

SPAYING/NEUTERING
Spay Neuter at Low Cost

PROCEDURES
Dog License
Microchipping
Dogs on Leash

BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS
Dog Biting
Cat Biting
Getting Rid of Pet due to Aggression
Unable to Keep Pet

TRAVEL
Leaving Egypt
Coming to Egypt
Traveling by Car
Traveling by Plane

EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE
Poisoned Pet
Finding a Vet
Vet Bills

PET HOTELS

PET DEATH

SHELTER AND ADOPTION
Adopting a Pet

HELPING S.P.A.R.E.
VOLUNTEERING
Volunteering from Egypt
Volunteering from abroad

SPONSORING
Sponsoring an Animal
Sponsoring a Project
Corporate Donations

OTHER ACTIVITIES
Dogs Day Out

EDUCATION
S.P.A.R.E.'s Work with Schools

GENERAL INQUIRIES
The Giza Zoo

Travelling to Egypt with Your Pet

Pet_Travel_to_Egypt.pdf

FAQ This section aims to answer as many questions as possible. We aim to keep it as updated as possible on a regular basis. To help us put our time to effective use, please read the FAQs before sending us any inquiries. Thank you.

Cruelty

Animal Rights Laws Are there laws that protect animals in Egypt? Yes. Read the laws here. Though few, the animal rights laws in the Egyptian constitution can convict those who inflict cruelty on animals. Animal rights laws exist under the Penal Code, the Environmental and the Agricultural law. We strongly suggest that you keep a copy with you in order to intervene in a cruel situation at any point. The more people are educated about the fact that their acts of cruelty are against the law, the more chances that cruel behavior will change. Pet Shop Complaints I’d like to complain about the conditions or treatment of animals in a pet shop. If you witness or suspect animal cruelty taking place, we suggest the following: 1. Contact us. Please provide us with the name and address of the Pet Shop. A phone number would be preferable. Please provide pictures if possible. 2. Print a copy of the animal rights laws here, and speak to the Pet Shop patrons about how they are treating the animals, and that it is against the law. Reporting animal cruelty What do I do to report animal cruelty or neglect? 1. Speak to the people involved in the act. 2. Contact us with information about the place, time and date of the incident you witnessed. If possible, provide us with contact details for us to intervene. I want to report cruelty or neglect in an Animal Shelter. If you have a complaint about a Shelter, please contact us to provide you with details as to what you can do to solve the issue. Vet Complaints I want to complain about a vet. Financial Complaints We urge you to agree with your veterinarian about finances before committing to any procedure. If you feel that the veterinarian is charging more than is “appropriate”, please contact us. Malpractice Complaints Please contact us in the case of malpractice. We will intervene to the best of our abilities.

Lost/Found Animals

Injured Animal I found an injured animal. What should I do? You can bring the animal into our clinic for treatment, or take it a vet who may treat it. Lost Pet I lost my pet. What should I do? Make sure your pet has a tag on its collar at all times, with your name and phone number on it, in case someone finds you pet. 1. Post the photo, with a full description of when and where you lost it, on our Facebook group 2. Visit Souk El Gom3a (Friday Market). Most lost/stolen pets usually end up there, for sale. 3. Visit pet shops in and around the city. Most lost/stolen pets usually end up there, for sale. 4. Many backyard breeders unfortunately run their operations in areas where there is plenty of land (6th October, Mokattam, Katameya, Mansouria). Ask around these areas. N.B. If you visit any of these places, do not go alone. Found Lost Pet I found a lost pet. What should I do? 1. Contact us and report your find 2. We suggest that you do not advertise this, as many false owners could come forward claiming the pet

Stray Animals

Found a Stray I found a stray/injured/abandoned animal. What should I do? Thank you for saving a poor animal in need! You've done great! Kittens or Puppies If the animal you rescued is a young kitten or puppy, please check that its mother is not in the area. Very often, some of the litter wanders off, or the mother leaves them in a place and goes looking for food. If, of course, you can rescue the mother and the kittens/puppies, that would be great! Check Up Take the animal to a vet for a check up. You can bring the animal to S.P.A.R.E.'s clinic. We provide check ups and treatment at a reduced cost. Spay and Neuter We also suggest that you schedule an appointment to have the animal spayed or neutered (if it is over 6 months old) in order to control the stray animal population, and to avoid abandonment of animals in the future. Caring for the Animal You can visit our You and Your Pet section of our website for more information and resources as to how to care for the animal. The vet will tell you exactly what to feed it and how to care for it. Finding the Animal a Home We suggest you take a picture of the animal, and leave the picture at the vet's office, with your phone number. Ask the vet to speak to some of the patrons that frequent the practice if they, or anyone they know, might be able to take the animal you found in. Please also email us a photo and a detailed description of the pet, and we will post it on our Fostering Forum, and hopefully place it in a home. Bringing the Pet to the S.P.A.R.E. Shelter The Shelter is facing severe financial difficulties. If you rescued an animal and would like to bring it to S.P.A.R.E., please note that you are kindly required to be fully responsible for the animal financially. We accept donations that cover the costs of treatment, de-worming, de-fleaing, vaccinations and the spay/neuter operations for the animal you rescued. We also accept monthly sponsorship of the animal until we find it a home. Should we find it a home abroad, please note that you will be responsible for covering those costs. Should you be unable to cover the entire cost of sending the animal abroad, we can assist in raising money for that animal. Feeding Strays I have been feeding cats in my neighbourhood. My neighours don't want cats around, and are threatening to poison them. What should I do? S.P.A.R.E. has a major point of view about feeding strays properly (if at all) in Egypt, because a lot of people simply don't tolerate them, and will go to a lot of trouble getting rid of strays in the cruelest of possible ways. We tend to discourage feeding stray animals unless you're able to provide certain conditions for them. See Policies to download S.P.A.R.E.'s Guidelines to feeding using the Five Freedoms for Animals. Some people feed strays in their buildings, but take permission from everyone in the building, and sterilize the cats they were able to catch. Try talking to the aggrieved party and explain that having cats around the building is actually better since they serve to keep the rat and insect population down, especially with the very terrible trash problem that we're facing in Cairo at the moment. Perhaps you can collect donations from the other residents and spay/neuter the cats and vaccinate them, so that they're not a health hazard to people as well. Explain this plan to the owner of your building as well. He will realize that you care about the well being of residents, the cleanliness of your area, and the animals themselves. If you would like us to speak to the owner of the building, please contact us. Strays in Your Area There are a lot of strays in my area. What can I do to solve this problem? S.P.A.R.E. can perform TNR for a nominal fee. We will send dog catchers to your area, catch the dogs we can, sterlize and spay/neuter them, and return the non-aggressive ones to your area. If you cannot afford to pay for this procedure on your own, we suggest that you contact your neighbours to contribute to this, since it is an act that everyone will benefit from.

Dead Animals

Dead Animal I found a dead animal. What should I do? Report it to the police, who will most probably point you towards the national health department. Dead animals lying around in public is hazardous to people and the environrment, and is not acceptable. My pet passed away. Where can I bury it? There are several options. The Gezira Sporting Club in Cairo has a pet cemetery where you can bury your pet, for a nominal fee. Membership to the club, is, however, required. You can also contact your vet, who will arrange for your pets burials.

Pet Care

GENERAL PET CARE Getting a Dog I want to get a pet. How do I care for it? S.P.A.R.E. encourages adoption. We have cats and dogs up for adoption. See Adopt or Sponsor for more information. If you already have a pet, and need help or more information about basic pet care, please visit: You and Your Pet in our Library Pet Care by Sheila Webster Boneham PhD in our Library Ask Inge by Inge Kohrmann, dog behavior specialist based in Germany, who will answer you emails for a fee. Student Living Alone I am a student and I live alone. I really want a watchdog. Can anyone help me with this? With students who live alone, it is a very bad idea to have a dog, whether adopted or bought. Just because you need a "guard dog" doesn't mean that it's any less of a responsibility, or that you will do less for it. Most people who buy dogs while in school/college ended up getting rid of them, which is the worse thing you can do to a dog. Actually, a lot of people, unless they are serious, get rid of their dogs before they are 6 months old because they can't handle it. In college your schedule is more or less known: but then you have finals, you have study groups, you want to travel in the summer and winter and Easter and have fun. You need to study, you stay up all night. And then you graduate and start looking for a job, maybe you leave the country, and begin transitioning into a different life. Dogs suffer 100% in the process... Having a dog is a HUGE responsibility: it is exactly like having a baby, but even more, because babies grow up and become adults and therefore independent, while a cat or dog will depend on you for the rest of their life. It is a lifetime commitment. ALL dogs need a lot of attention and training, but most especially puppies. Puppies need to eat small meals every 4-5 hours; then 3 times a day; then twice when they're adults, breakfast and dinner. You have to de-worm them every 3 months; de-flea them every months; walk them 3 times a day; vaccinate them once a year; take them for medical check ups; keep their teeth clean; make sure they get enough exercise and run at least 20-30 minutes a day. That is not putting into consideration any medical emergencies that have to be tended to IMMEDIATELY. But most important, they need human company because they are domesticated (not like wild animals who really don't need us at all). It's easier when you are living with someone, or you have someone to help you if your schedule gets changed and you can't keep up your responsibility. S.P.A.R.E. would suggest that you wait a while, and examine the reasons you need a dog, and what you can offer the dog as well. You should want a dog because you love dogs - but even with love, one must be responsible and realize that sometimes love means compromising and not getting what you want. Please visit You and Your Pet in our Library for more information about how to care for a pet. SPAYING/NEUTERING Deciding to Spay or Neuter Is it unfair to spay or neuter my pet? Not at all! It is better for overall health of your pets to spay or neuter them. It also helps prevent cruelty to animals by not contributing to the over population of animals. Advantages Of Spaying Or Neutering Your Pet Spaying your female pet: - Eliminates the heat cycle and associated symptoms such as crying, nervous pacing, the desire to roam and the excretion of blood - Stops unwelcome visits by male suitors - Reduces the risk of breast cancer, one of the most common malignancies in the female feline - Prevents diseases of the uterus and ovaries as well as some skin disorders   Neutering your male pet: - Reduces or eliminates the tendency to mark territory with strong-smelling urine - Prevents prostate disease and certain cancers - May reduce the likelihood that your pet will stray from home and become lost or injured Spay/Neuter my pet at low-cost I want to spay or neuter my pet, but cannot afford a high-cost operation. Our clinic can provide you with low-cost spay/neuter for your pet. Please contact us for more information. PROCEDURES Dog licenses Do I have to have a license for my dog? Where can I get it? Yes. Getting a license for your dog is one of the most important aspects of owning a dog. You can obtain the license from your vet. It should only take a few days to a week. Microchipping Do I have to microchip my pet? Though microchipping is not required by law in Egypt, S.P.A.R.E. advocates microchipping your pet. Not only does it provide a means of identification should you lose your pet, but it is one step less in the procedure of traveling with your dog. Dogs on Leash I want to walk my dog off leash. Is that against the law? S.P.A.R.E. believes that your dog should be on leash at all times, for its safety and for the safety of others. As gentle or as kind as your dog may be, many people are afraid of dogs and one cannot gauge a reaction to a dog running loose in the streets. Furthermore, your dog might get into an accident (get hit by a car, for example) and it is your responsibility to provide your pet with a safe environment. BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS Dog Biting My dog is biting me and/or members of my family. What can I do? Don’t get rid of your pet! Puppies play bite because that is how they communicate with their litter. You should always wait until your puppy is 60 days (2 months) old before you bring it home. By that time, its mother would have taught it that it’s unacceptable to play bite, and so your puppy might play bite you less. Should your puppy get rough while playing with you, a firm “No!” and then giving it a toy/bone/sock to bite on will revert its behavior to not play biting you, but to playing with it’s toy. If you have an older dog, and it bites you as a sign of aggression, some simple behavior modification guides are all that’s needed to assert yourself as the leader of the pack! Your dog biting is usually a sign of dominance problems. Dogs are pack animals, and will try to assert themselves as the alpha dog unless you take some control and show it that you are the boss. Typically, your dog will exhibit signs of dominance and aggression towards you or members of your family because it wants to assert itself as the “alpha” or “top” dog – it will bite you when you try to take its plate of food away from it; it will sit on your favorite chair and growl at you if you want it to get up; it will bark back at you or try to bite you if you tell it off, amongst other things. Some things to try: 1. Eat before feeding your pet. The alpha dog in the pack always eats first, and the rest of the dogs in the pack eat by hierarchy. Never give your dog food while you are eat – it will think that you are “equal” and will treat you as such. 2. Walk out of the door first 3. If your dog bites you, lightly tap it on the nose. Give it a “time out” in a room for 10 minutes and then let it out again 4. Keep your dog’s toys away. It has to understand that these toys do not belong to it, but to you! Give them to your dog when you feel like it, and take them away when you feel like it. 5. Don’t let your dog sleep on your bed. It needs to have its own dog bed 6. Don’t let your dog sit on the couch. If your dog is exhibiting other signs of serious aggression and is attacking you while unprovoked, or is proving to be a danger to you and your family, please contact us to assess the problem. Please visit this website for more information about dog behavior problems: www.perfectpaws.com You can also email Inge Kohrmann who is a dog behavior specialist and who can answer your emails. You can also visit You and Your Pet for more information. Cat Biting My cat bites me when I pet it. What can I do? Are you petting your cat on its stomach? Many people have come to us with this problem, and it usually ended up with the same answer – many cats don’t like to be petted on their stomachs! Some things you can do to stop cat biting: 1. Get them off your lap or move away from them for at least 15 minutes or until they have calmed down. That way, the realize that their behavior will result in your ignoring them. 2. Cats stomachs are very sensitive, and they don’t like to be petted there. If they role over on their backs for you to pet them, avoid their belly and just rub their sides. 3. Associate your cats biting you with something negative, like stomping your foot or yelling. Visit this website for more information about cat behavior problems: www.perfectpaws.com Getting Rid of Pet Due to Aggression My pet is aggressive. I want to get rid of it. Pet aggressiveness is often due to behavioral problems that can easily be changed. Contact us if you need more help. You can also email Inge Kohrmann who is a dog behavior specialist and who can answer your emails. You can also visit You and Your Pet for more information. Unable to Keep Pet I can't keep my pet anymore. What should I do? S.P.A.R.E. believes that pets are family members. Giving up your pet is not an easy decision, and we believe that having a pet is a lifetime commitment and should not be taken lightly. If there are no alternatives to keeping your pet, you are probably better off finding a home for your pet though your personal contacts (friends, family, vet, colleagues etc). You can also post your pet on www.petmarche.com or on our website. You can also contact us to see if we have foster parents available who can foster your pet until you can find it a home. TRAVEL Leaving Egypt I’m leaving the country and I need to find a home for my pet. It is possible for your pet to travel with you to your new home. The procedure consists of the following: 1. Full vaccinations 2. Micro-chipping your pet 3. Blood test sent to the country of your destination 4. 3 months for the results to come through 5. Booking a flight for your pet and making papers at the Egyptian vet service We can help you with the above procedures for a nominal fee. You should make arrangements for your pet in your new environment – primarily by making sure that you live in a place that is pet friendly. Coming to Egypt I am coming to Egypt and would like to bring my pet. What are the procedures? Please contact us to provide you with the documents for the exact procedure. Travelling by car with your pet I am traveling by car with my pet. What should I do? S.P.A.R.E. suggest placing your young puppy or cat in a crate for long car rides. The older your dog gets, the more used to traveling outside of a crate it will be. Your dog should always sit in the back of the car, and you should not keep the windows open so that it does not jump out. Never, ever leave your dog alone in the car. Many dogs suffocate to death in cars, especially in hot countries such as Egypt. Traveling by plane with your pet I am traveling by plane with my pet. What are the procedures? S.P.A.R.E. provide a Pet Travel Service for a nominal fee. Our Pet Travel Services include the following: 1. Microchipping 2. Vaccinations and Blood tests 3. Advice and getting the papers from the Egyptian vet service MORE INFORMATION - Start booking advance to reserve space. - Some airlines have space limits as to how many pets can travel. - Some airlines refuse to take pets on board during the summer months since it is too hot for the pet to be placed as cargo. Plan your trip accordingly. - Your pet should be healthy, and all its papers in order Pregnancy: Your pet should not be pregnant. If it is, you will need to provide a vet on board the flight, according to flying rules and regulations. Food: Do not give your pet any food or water before you travel in order to avoid stomach upsets while traveling Your Pet on the Plane: Your pet can either board the plane with you as carry on luggage, or in cargo, depending on its weight/size. As Carry-on: - The carrier should be small enough to meet airline regulations - The carrier should be soft - Cats prefer to travel in smaller spaces, and a large carrier might cause it to be more afraid. As Cargo: - Your pet should have its food - The carrier needs to be hard - The carrier needs to be big enough for your dog to stand up and turn around in it - The airline needs to know the weight of your pet, as well as the size of your pet carrier in order to determine cost - Place a favorite toy(s) with your pet in the carrier to provide it with some familiarity and comfort - Make sure that you notify air personnel that there is a pet in cargo, and that the heating should be turned on. Hypothermia is a common cause of pet death on airplanes. Provide your pet with a blanket in its carrier Noise: if your pet is noisy (barks or meows a lot) you should not consider taking it as carry on with you, to avoid disturbing passengers EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE Medical Care What do I do in a medical emergency? If your pet is showing signs of a serious illness, you should bring it to your vet immediately. You should always have the following emergency supplies in a safe place in your home: 1. Betadine or alcohol spray (to disinfect wounds) 2. Cotton pads 3. Tweezers (to remove splinters, ticks, fleas etc from your pet) 4. Kapect, Antinal for diahrrea and vomiting 5. Muzzle, incase your dog is in pain and might bite you or others Do not attempt to splint a broken limb. Do not administer medicine before speaking with your vet. Poisoned Pet My pet ate something poisonous. What should I do? You have to take your pet to a vetrinarian immediately. Until you do so, try to induce vomiting by giving your pet water with salt. The most common dog poisons are: 1. Anticoagulents (rodent poison) 2. Cholecalciferol ( rodent poison) 3. Organophosphates (insecticides) 4. Carbamates (insecticides) 5. Ethylene glycol (antifreeze, rust remover) 6. Strychnine 7. Temik 8. Spiders, ants, bees 9. Snakes 10. Chocolate 11. Illicit drugs 12. Human medications Grapes, raisins, and macadamia nuts can also be toxic to dogs. Finding a Vet I need a vet. Whom do you recommend? S.P.A.R.E. has an in-house clinic. Please contact us for more information. Cairo Vets: Dr. Farouk Best for: Surgery Phone: +2 012 219 8733 Dr. Rafik Best for: Routine vaccinations and check ups; skin problems Office hours: Saturday to Thursday, 6pm-12pm; Friday 10am-2pm; 6pm-10pm Phone: +202 2736 2402; +20127362402 American Vet Clinic Best for: 24 Hour Emergency Service Phone: +202 2737 6664 Vets in Alexandria Dr. Ibrahim Phone: +2 010 512 0107 AAE www.animalaidegypt.org Online Help These websites are in no way a substitute for professional veterinary care. They are simply a tool for more information. VetMedCenter www.vetmedcenter.com Vet Info www.vetinfo.com Veterinary Partner www.veterinarypartner.com About.com: Veterinary Medicine vetmedicine.about.com Vet Bills I can't afford to pay a lot of money for vets. What can I do? S.P.A.R.E. offers expert veterinary care through our clinic at reduced prices. Please contact us for more details. PET HOTELS I am going on holiday and need to board my dog. Eastwind Kennels are a five-star facility that boards dogs. Established in 2003, the kennel is a member of K-9 SENSE Hospitality Centers. EWK provide pet taxis that bring your dog to and from your home to the facility. Eastwind Kennels Twenty Sixth of July Corridor, Giza Tel: +2 (010) 560-9411 Office hours: 9am - 4:30pm daily except Fridays www.eastwindkennels.com I am going on holiday and need to board my cat. S.P.A.R.E. provides boarding services for cats for a fee of 30L.E. per day. We accept full payment before boarding. PET DEATH My pet passed away. Where can I bury it? There are several options. The Gezira Sporting Club in Cairo has a pet cemetery where you can bury your pet, for a nominal fee. Membership to the club, is, however, required. You can also contact your vet, who will arrange for your pets burial.

Adoptions

I want to adopt a pet. What are the procedures? S.P.A.R.E. encourages all prospective pet owners to adopt a pet. Please visit Adopt or Sponsor to choose a pet and learn about our adoption procedure.

Helping S.P.A.R.E.

Volunteering I would like to volunteer with S.P.A.R.E. What can I do to help? There are several programs running at S.P.A.R.E. that meet everyone's time and ability constraints. Our programs fall under the following categories: Art to S.P.A.R.E. Words to S.P.A.R.E. Time to S.P.A.R.E. Stuff to S.P.A.R.E. You can spread the word about S.P.A.R.E. through our website. We will also send you our Press Kit so you're armed with as much information as possible about S.P.A.R.E. and our activities. From our Press Kit, you will be able to print posters, send press releases to websites and publications - in short, you will play an active role in getting the word about S.P.A.R.E. out there. Please contact us to send you our PDF Press Kit via email. Please visit Act for more information about the programs, who to contact and other ways you can help. I live abroad but would like to volunteer in S.P.A.R.E. What can I do to help? There are so many things you can do! You can recruit sponsors and adoptors for us. You can spread the word about S.P.A.R.E. through our website. We will also send you our Press Kit so you're armed with as much information as possible about S.P.A.R.E. and our activities. From our Press Kit, you will be able to print posters, send press releases to websites and publications - in short, you will play an active role in getting the word about S.P.A.R.E. out there. Please contact us to send you our PDF Press Kit via email. Also visit Act for more ways you can help. Sponsoring An Animal I would like to sponsor an animal. What does that involve? You can sponsor a dog, cat or donkey. You can also choose to sponsor the dog shelter, the cat shelter or the donkey sanctuary. Please visit Adopt or Sponsor for more information. Sponsoring a Program How can I get involved in one of S.P.A.R.E. projects? There are a lot of projects that you can join. Please visit Sponsor a Project for more information. Corporations I work for a company and think it would be a good idea for my company to help S.P.A.R.E. What do I do? S.P.A.R.E. works very closely within the community, and with small communities, to better the circumstances for working animals and their owners. We also perform regular TNR for stray animals all over Egypt. Your company can sponsor any of these projects. Please see Corporate Donations for exact details as to how you can involve your company through its CSR Program. Dogs Day Out I would like to join S.P.A.R.E. Friday Dogs Day Out. How do I do that? Just come on down to the Shelter. Meeting point is the Shelter at Shubramant, from 11am to 12pm every Friday. (See our address here). Newcomers get a tour of the Shelter, and then everyone goes to a nearby horse stable with some dogs to give them the chance to run around and play. Everyone is welcome: bring your friends and loved one. Education Does S.P.A.R.E. work with schools to raise awareness about animal welfare? One of the most important activities that we carry out is to educate the general public about animals and animal welfare. Not only do we visit schools, but we encourage school field trip visits to the Shelter and Donkey Sanctuary for children to interact with animals and to promote animal welfare. Please visit Education for more information.

General Inquiries

The Giza Zoo Why is there no mention of the Giza Zoo in your Animal Abuse section? Though the state of the animals at the Giza Zoo is dire and very sad, Zoo Management is very positive and extremely willing to co-operate with animal rights organizations to better the state of the animals at the Zoo. This has been most obvious over the past 2 years.   Not only have they been co-operating, but they have also been reaching out to S.P.A.R.E to assist them in many aspects of their management, medical and zoological matters. Most recently, Zoo Management have asked us to assist them in outlining a list of relevant medication for all the animals at the zoo, which they intend on purchasing. They have also asked for the services of S.P.A.R.E. Vets, which we are more than happy to provide.   They have opened the Zoo as a venue of education for the general public on numerous occasions (World Animal Day; Zoo Awareness Campaigns with AWAR, S.P.A.R.E. and other Egyptian animal rights organizations). The Zoo is very important in terms of our quest to educate the public, since a huge portion of the Egyptian public visit the Zoo on weekends.