A Kuwaiti family lost its favorite dog that has lived with them for 11 years, and they offered a reward of KD 500 for whoever finds it. After three days, an expatriate found it and took it back to the Kuwaiti family, who gave him the reward and were thrilled to have the dog back home. I know this amount may seem large to some and little to others, but during these three days, the family went through a difficult time and suffered a lot of pain, anxiety and fear.

I know the feeling because I have a little cat that has been living with me for three years now. I raised it since it was a newborn when I found it near garbage suffering from pain and illness. I took it to my house and took care of it - he is not just an animal but a family member.

I often see cats on the street during this cold weather and I think of my cat that is living in a safe place away from street torture, hunger and extreme cold. I completely understand the family's feelings and intense fear for its favorite dog, so congratulations to the dog owners!

But this issue witnessed two teams - those who do not know mercy and even used the dog's voice as a kind of mockery of the dog owner, because they don't understand that when an animal lives with a family for a long time, it becomes one of its children. Another team of animal rights defenders supported the right of this family to offer a financial reward to encourage everyone to help in the search for the animal like a missing child. The controversy did not end with the return of the dog to its owners, but turned into a "trend" of hashtags between supporters and opponents.

The conditions of animals, especially dogs and cats in Kuwait, are like others in many Arab countries. I do not know why when we talk about animal rights, some say, "what about the state of human rights?" Why do we see that a dog or cat is less deserving, and that some people have the right to torture or starve a helpless soul?

Whenever I visit a social media site, I see someone who has gone to the animal market or reviews the conditions of animals that suffer from hunger and cold. I feel sorry and fear that these poor animals are subject to this torment, hunger and deprivation.

I am surprised at the families that offer their children a dog or cat without realizing that it is not a puppet and needs medical care, vaccinations, good food and even doctor visits in the event of illness to be happy. It is a big responsibility and it is not right to leave its care entirely to children. So I encourage those who own dogs or cats not to give them to young children. The adopter must be an adult with experience in caring for animals, and they must be willing to take care of the animal in all circumstances.

I wish everyone respects the love and loyalty of this family for its dog. Glad he is back home and safe now. Thank you to those who helped in finding the little dog!