Egypt has banned the majority of dog breeds after issuing a controversial edict that allows only 10 types of dogs to be kept as pets and imposing heavy fines for people who keep any of the banned breeds.
The new “Regulation of the Possession of Dangerous Animals and Dogs” bill was introduced on the 29th of May, and sparked concerns for dog enthusiasts and animal rights advocates in the country. It was imposed after a man died after being attacked by a pit bull.
The law means that most dog breeds are effectively deemed “dangerous” and unsuitable for ownership without thorough “safety” inspections.
A copy of the new laws published in the Egyptian Official Gazette will require all pet owners including the banned dog breeds, tigers, and lions to register their animals with the authorities for inspection. The law will allow ownership of only 10 select breeds without “safety” inspection but doesn’t specify details of what exactly that means.
Allowable breeds
- Cocker Spaniel
- Poodle
- Labrador
- Belgian Malinois
- Pomeranian
- Jack Russell
- Great Dane
- White Shepherd
- Maltese
- Samoyed
Heavily restricted breeds
These breeds will require thorough inspection by a veterinary department with no details provided. Any dogs found to be unsafe would be confiscated by public veterinarians again with no details provided
- Pitbull
- Rottweiler
- German Shepherd
- Boxer
- Husky
- Alaskan Malamute
- Caucasian Shepherd
- Bull Mastiff
The bill continued to outline penalties for dog or dangerous animal attacks including fines ranging from small fines to life imprisonment for attacks involving death or serious injury.