When a video of West Ham defender Kurt Zouma kicking and throwing his cat surfaced online, it was widely condemned by animal lovers across the world. While the act by the footballer was heavily criticised as animal abuse and almost cost him his career, it reveals the seriousness with which animal welfare issues are handled in other countries.
Back home, the scenario of cats being kicked, battered and thrown around are never new. Scenarios of dogs wagging their tails by the door as they drool over people eating while constantly ducking objects thrown at them to keep them off are neither new either. Those of dogs, oxen and donkeys nursing serious wounds inflicted by their owners are an almost everyday occurrence.
While there are laws that protect these animals from abuse, punishments meted on offenders have remained the same since 1962 as some sections have never been updated.
According to Action For Protection Of Animals Africa Director Dr Kosova Mudoga, domestic animal welfare in Kenya is riddled with lack of proper knowledge by owners on how to keep animals. Majority of the owners also still lack proper knowledge on laws and regulations surrounding animal welfare.
“The main challenges are basically in regards to knowledge of owners on how to take proper care of their animals. In a past survey, we found out that majority of Kenyans within Nairobi love their animals but do not know what they need to take care of them,” Dr Mudoga said
Dr Kosova says that while dogs are omnivores like humans, they enjoy a carnivorous diet more.
Cats, on the other hand, are purely carnivorous and, therefore, require a good amount of meat in their diet.
“But like dogs they do need carbohydrates and vegetables in their diet for vitamins and minerals,” Dr Kosova added.
Lack of proper knowledge has seen the rise in the belief that fish is the best food for cats while actually, it is detrimental to their health. Dr Kosova said that cats instead suffer neurological problems resulting from consumption of fish.
“Too much fish is detrimental to their health as fish has an enzyme thiaminase that destroys a protein Thiamine B1 which is essential for cats or they end up suffering neurological problems,” She said.
Proper healthcare of pets, mostly cats and dogs, she says, entails a yearly check-up as well as vaccination for rabies. Dogs should also undertake a yearly vaccination to tackle a combination of viruses including distemper, leptospira, parvo & Hepatitis) dogs while cats have to undertake vaccination for Calicivirus - cat flu, panleukopenia, and feline herpes.
They should also be dewormed a minimum of twice a year but those in close proximity to children, farm and free-roaming owned dogs need to be dewormed at minimum every month to rid worms that spread from animals to humans.
“There is also need to ensure owners control external parasites using various methods from bathing to medication. Female pets should also not be allowed to give birth every year on end as it affects their well-being and overall health,” She added.
While welfare on cats and dogs is still wanting, animals like donkeys have also suffered for decades from myths that compromise their welfare.
“Some of these myths are detrimental to health of these animals. While a donkey, just like livestock requires to be dewormed, in most instances they are never dewormed. These donkeys are also tied to the same place for days and in most instances do not access water yet their contribution to the rural economy is huge,” Brooke East Africa CEO Dr Raphael Kinoti said.
Some donkeys also suffer from wounds inflicted by users who whip them with the belief that they work more efficiently. But just like other animals, donkeys too require grooming-trimming their hoofs by specialists known as farriers.
“They require farrier services so that they can walk and balance properly. When hoofs are overgrown, it pains and hinders how a donkey walks around. It becomes worse if they are overloaded. Donkey welfare issues have however been improving as a result of awareness and there are several farriers and champions across the country,” Dr Kinoti said.
Parliament passed the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (2012), which was a revised version of the earlier law passed in 1983.
The new law is broader and aims to control the treatment of animals including their use in experiments. However, several areas were not updated.
Another draft bill seeking to update most of the sections is still in Parliament.
“The Bill has been a draft for a long time. We were hoping that if bill was discussed and pushed, it will help address the welfare issues since it is very progressive. It has however not been tabled in the Parliament and if it is not pushed, it will be as good as a good piece of literature-Just a collection of good statement,” Samuel Theuri, welfare advocacy officer at Brooke East Africa says.
