On 24 February 2026, the Zeitoun Misdemeanor Court rendered its judgment in Case No. 6867 of 2025 (Zeitoun Misdemeanor), initiated by the Public Prosecution. The Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights (ECESR) appeared in the proceedings on behalf of \u201cOur Team for Animal Protection Association\u201d as a civil claimant. The Court sentenced the defendants, identified by their initials as W.A.M. and M.A.H., to two months\u2019 imprisonment and ordered each to post bail in the amount of EGP 1,000, in connection with the intentional poisoning that resulted in the death of several dogs within the jurisdiction of the Zeitoun Police Department.<\/p>\n
The Association had undertaken efforts to rescue, vaccinate, sterilize, and treat a number of street dogs. Only days after the completion of those procedures, the defendants deliberately killed the dogs by placing poisoned food for them. The Association further stated that the defendants had repeatedly threatened its members because of their activities in caring for the animals.<\/p>\n
Police investigations and surveillance camera footage established that the defendants intentionally poisoned the dogs, leading to their death. This evidence formed the basis of the report filed before the Zeitoun Misdemeanor Prosecution, which subsequently referred the case to trial before the Misdemeanor Court.<\/p>\n
Counsel for ECESR attended the first hearing before the Misdemeanor Court on 17 February 2026 and formally submitted a civil claim against the defendants. The Court adjourned the matter to 24 February 2026 to complete the civil action procedures.<\/p>\n
The Egyptian Constitution provides for the protection of animals and prohibits harm to them as part of the nation\u2019s natural wealth. It further affirms the obligation to safeguard animals and wildlife and to ensure humane treatment in accordance with the law.<\/p>\n
For several years, ECESR has pursued related litigation in its capacity as legal representative of \u201cOur Team for Animal Protection Association\u201d against the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister, the Minister of Agriculture, the Minister of Health, and the Chairman of the Board of the General Authority for Veterinary Services, in their official capacities, in Administrative Case No. 2242 of Judicial Year 75. In that case, the Center sought annulment of the negative administrative decision consisting of the authorities\u2019 failure to prohibit the use of strychnine poison in killing stray dogs and animals.<\/p>\n
The action was grounded in the illegality of the administrative authority\u2019s use of strychnine to kill stray dogs and animals without due regard for the lives of those animals, as well as the potential harm to humans and plant life.<\/p>\n
The National Poison Control Center submitted a recommendation in the same proceedings confirming the dangers associated with the use of strychnine, which is internationally prohibited, and noting the availability of alternative methods such as sterilization.<\/p>\n
The case was examined before the State Commissioners\u2019 Authority in the First Circuit (Rights and Freedoms), which issued a report confirming\u2014based on the official statement from the National Clinical and Environmental Toxicology Center affiliated with Cairo University Hospitals\u2014that strychnine is a chemical compound extracted from the seeds of the plant Strychnos nux-vomica and that it is used by the General Authority for Veterinary Services in eliminating stray dogs.<\/p>\n
The report further noted that the use of strychnine in animal control has been internationally prohibited by accredited research bodies due to its severe toxicity and its harmful impact on soil and human health, not only on dogs.<\/p>\n
The State Commissioners\u2019 Authority confirmed that the General Authority for Veterinary Services uses strychnine when exterminating stray dogs and animals, as established by the official statement of the National Clinical and Environmental Toxicology Center. The Authority did not deny this practice, nor did it submit evidence to the contrary, having refrained from filing a substantive response in the case. This abstention constituted a presumption in favor of the claimant\u2019s assertions and supporting documentation, particularly as the case file contained no evidence to the contrary.<\/p>\n
The action also established that the use of strychnine by the General Authority for Veterinary Services in disposing of stray animals violates the explicit provisions of Article 12 of Ministerial Decree No. 35 of 1967, regulating procedures concerning dogs, rabies, the monitoring of aggressive animals, and the seizure, slaughter, or euthanasia of such animals without compensation to their owners.<\/p>\n
The legal argument was based on the requirement that any poisoning of animals intended for elimination must be free from cruelty and torture. Accordingly, the claim sought a judicial order compelling the General Authority for Veterinary Services to cease the use of strychnine in eliminating stray dogs and animals found in public roads and places.<\/p>\n
Despite the clear report of the State Commissioners\u2019 Authority recommending prohibition of strychnine use, the Court dismissed the case on the merits, reasoning that the method was the most appropriate in light of the country\u2019s economic conditions. The Court further denied the existence of any adverse environmental impact of strychnine, notwithstanding official national and international reports to the contrary.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
On 24 February 2026, the Zeitoun Misdemeanor Court rendered its judgment in Case No. 6867 of 2025 (Zeitoun Misdemeanor), initiated by the Public Prosecution. The Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights (ECESR) appeared in the proceedings on behalf of \u201cOur Team for Animal Protection Association\u201d as a civil claimant. The Court sentenced the defendants, …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":809077,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[562],"tags":[],"coauthors":[936],"class_list":["post-809109","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n