Attorney Fajer Ahmed

I am sure many of you have already heard on social media, blogs or even on the international news about the unfortunate incident of a Kuwaiti influencer who mistreated a dog by leaving it in the scorching heat inside the trunk of his car, which led to what the influencer referred to as "suicide" after the dog was found dead at the bottom of a pool.

His actions are inhuman, but are they illegal too? And if so, what may be the consequences? And more importantly, can officials take action against him due to his posts on social media?

Animal abuse in Kuwait is illegal, but it hasn't always been that way. Before a law was passed, only animals that belonged to someone were protected, and abusing them was considered a criminal act. Hence, stray animals were exempted! But the new law focuses on animals regardless if they are pets or feral.

Will the officials use the information they have from the influencer's social media to take him into trial? We have seen a lot of influencers posting legal violations all the time and I wonder if social media posts will soon be considered as evidence for violations in Kuwait. Regardless of the law and the incident that happened, I really hope that we respect each other and be kind to one another as well as animals. Please don't leave any animals in the heat. Please read up and research about a pet before owning one. Be safe.

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By Attorney Fajer Ahmed