Employees at a Sharjah restaurant were in shock when they arrived for work on September 22 to find a dead kitten outside the eatery. The following day, another lifeless kitten was found near the restaurant’s entrance, leaving staff deeply unsettled.
The morbid events led the manager to investigate further, and he was horrified to uncover CCTV footage showing a man violently abusing the kittens on both mornings. Khaleej Times has reviewed the CCTV footage and has chosen not to share it due to its graphic and distressing content.
The footage taken at 6am shows the man violently tossing and throwing the kittens, stepping on them and slamming them against nearby surfaces with full force.
Before carrying out the attacks, he cautiously looked around to ensure no spectators were around. After brutally abusing one of the kittens, he leaves while glancing around, as the cat struggles helplessly on the ground. On both days, he was seen wearing the same outfit.
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Speaking to Khaleej Times, Rasheed, manager of House of Grill in Abu Shagara, expressed his horror after watching the videos. “There was no blood found on the cats’ bodies. That’s when we suspected something unnatural and decided to check the CCTV cameras. This incident occurred in the early hours, when children are typically waiting for school buses. It was extremely cruel, and the man should be caught. Whether animals or humans, it’s all the same.”
The mother of the kittens was not so far away from the scene. Just across the road lives Joseph Lobo, an Indian expat and owner of a salon, who has been residing in the area for 37 years. “The mother [cat] came to our shop a year ago and later gave birth to one kitten. Just 25 days ago, she had these two [kittens]. They used to sleep near our shop, and that day she took them out for the first time since they had just opened their eyes. They never came back.”
Lobo, who takes care of stray cats in the area and helps them find new homes, came to the UAE when he was 17. Now 54, he has filed a complaint with the Sharjah Police after seeing the footage. “I even showed the picture of the man to other shops in the area. We suspect he lives nearby. A supermarket employee said he noticed him in the area.”
This is not the first such incident in the area. Recently, several cats have been found injured or dead, and locals now suspect the same individual captured in the CCTV footage may be responsible.
Meanwhile, Joseph is now trying to find a home for the mother cat and her older kitten. “She just keeps crying and has stopped eating food. She is still looking for her babies.” He hopes the mother cat will be loved in her new home. Joseph and his family buried the kittens.
Community outrage
The video, now viral online, has shaken the community. Residents, numb in shock after watching the unsettling video have expressed outrage, calling on authorities to take action. Pet rescuers are hoping to identify the individual.
“We all need to come together and get this man what he deserves,” commented one social media user.
Local rescuer Tasmiyah A. was in tears when she saw the footage: “I was shaken when I saw this video. These kittens were 20 days old, opening their eyes and seeing the world for the first and last time. I didn’t want to see such a clip on my first day of university, but as someone committed to helping animals in the UAE, sadly, this has become part of the reality.
“I hope authorities take action and publicise it officially. Only then will people be deterred, because animal abusers are often domestic abusers, and overall a danger to society,” she added.
She urged her followers to report the incident on the Biosecurity Early Notification System, a platform created by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) to report food safety threats, animal diseases and agricultural pests. Rescuers and residents have also been using the link to report animal abuse and dumping incidents.
Joseph recalled a similar incident that occurred years ago, which he reported to the Sharjah Police at the time. “The police took action back then and caught and fined the individual. I really do hope what happened a decade ago happens now, too.”
This is not the first time such an incident has taken place. In July, a chilling video made the rounds across various local animal rescue groups and social media accounts, showing a man burning the genitals of a stray cat in Sharjah.
In case of finding a stray animal, the law advises residents to do the following:
1. Take the animal if it constitutes a danger or is suffering from pain or disturbance.
2. If the owner cannot be identified or contacted, consult a veterinarian immediately upon the animal’s suffering from pain or disturbance and take action according to the veterinarian’s opinion.
3. If the owner is identified, oblige him/her to pay for all expenses incurred.
A law concerning animal protection, enacted in September 2007, states that animals should not be left alone or abandoned; that they should be taken care of or supervised by people with knowledge, skills and qualifications, and that both the animal and its living conditions must be checked at least once a day.
Under the law, animals are entitled to rights, including the right to have enough space enabling them to move freely, according to their needs, to be fed and watered adequately according to their age and species, and to be transported and housed safely.
UAE laws on animal abuse
Federal Decree-Law No. 31 of 2021 Promulgating the Crimes and Penalties Law prohibits crimes against animals.
Article 466: A penalty of incarceration and/or fine shall be imposed on anyone who deliberately and without justification kills or seriously injures [certain animals]… as well as anyone who leaves a stray animal in conditions that pose a danger to people.
Article 471: A penalty of incarceration for a period not exceeding one year or a fine not exceeding Dh10,000 shall be imposed on anyone who, deliberately and without justification, kills or poisons any domesticated or tamed animal other than those stated in Article 466.
Article 472: A fine not exceeding Dh5,000 shall be imposed on anyone who harasses, tortures or maltreats a domesticated or tamed animal, as well as anyone who abstains from caring for such animal when he is entrusted therewith or is duly bound to take care of it.
Article 473: A fine not exceeding Dh3,000 shall be imposed on anyone who, by his fault, causes wounds or injuries to any animal or cattle belonging to another person, and if such fault causes the death of such animal, the penalty shall be a fine not exceeding Dh10,000.
Furthermore, a separate and older law — Federal Law No. 16 of 2007 concerning the Protection of Animals from Abuse and Neglect — prohibits the use of animals for scientific experiments. Anyone using animals in this manner “without authorisation from the competent department or the competent authority” will face hefty penalties starting from not less than Dh50,000 and going up to Dh200,000, along/or with imprisonment of not more than a year.
In 2020, the Federal Public Prosecution had also warned that people selling ill or injured animals will face a fine of Dh200,000.
Recent regulations
Abu Dhabi has been making strides in animal welfare, with recent laws mandating the registration of microchipped cats and dogs, and a new animal ownership service was launched on February 3. Under new regulations introduced by the Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT), pet owners must register their animals on the TAMM platform, and failure to comply will result in fines starting next year.
The new system aims to reduce the stray animal population, track pet records, enable proper identification and improve animal welfare, while creating a centralised database for owners and their microchipped pets.
In 2023, authorities in Abu Dhabi also launched an investigation into reports about cats being abandoned in the desert. Videos showing several cats abandoned in a desert went viral on social media, with many rescue groups expressing shock over the incident.
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