February 12, 2022

Even a cat wants to feel safe

Photo by Evgenia Grande

Law enforcement officers in the capital of Uzbekistan have taken the stray cats under protection. On the initiative of the Tashkent City Department of Internal Affairs, 77 cat houses will be installed near the internal affairs departments. By this, homeless cats will get a roof over their heads. And most importantly, now they are unlikely to be offended, because they will be under the supervision of cameras and people in uniform.

FROM THE IDEA...

Alexandra Ivanyuzhenko, Tashkent blogger and journalist, once shared with the Head of the Multimedia Centre of the Capital City Department of Internal Affairs, Major Irina Sayfutdinova, a story she saw on the Internet about houses for stray cats in South Korea. These houses hang on the walls of buildings, like birdhouses, to prevent dogs from getting to them. Thoughtful people take care of the animals. And one of the most popular programs in this country shows a team of rescuers helping homeless cats in distress.

- “At the time I thought, I wish we had something like that, too", says Irina Sayfutdinova. – “A humane attitude towards four-legged animals is a good example for the younger generation. The conversation took place after the Tashkent Department of Internal Affairs received one by one requests to take action against the man who shot the dog and the teenagers who mercilessly butchered the puppy. Subsequently, the animal protection society filed a petition about the cruel treatment of cats. People were shocked by such news. An investigation was conducted, and the perpetrators were punished. But these horrible isolated cases seriously damaged the country's image. Uzbekistan seemed to have lost its most important qualities - mercy and kindness. That's when the idea of cat houses was born. If we want to live in a safe city, among compassionate young people, we must act now.”

General Rustam Dzhuraev, the head of the Department of Internal Affairs of Tashkent, thought the idea was reasonable, and he gave the go-ahead to implement it. The project involved Timur Aripov, head of the Society for Animal Protection, and Iroda Matkarimova, the creator of a shelter for homeless animals. Lieutenant Colonel Jafar Omonov, who supervised the rehabilitation center for homeless people in Tashkent, helped with many technical questions from the department.

- The Department of Internal Affairs has repeatedly stood up for animals that have been harmed by humans. The reaction to statements, photos and videos about the cruel treatment of our lesser brothers was immediate," Major Sayfutdinova continues. – “We gathered a group of enthusiasts, convinced that our children need to be taught compassion and humane attitude towards those who need care and protection.”

...TO IMPLEMENTATION

After three months of preparatory work, the first waterproof and warm cat-house for at least ten cats appeared.

It was installed in front of the rehabilitation center for the homeless, on the very spot that was popular with the stray dogs from the neighborhood. The inhabitants of the institution also took an active part in the creation of the house. They built it with pleasure, each time inventing some tricks and improvements. And now they take care of animals, communication with which can become one of the socialization tools for people without a certain place of residence.

Meanwhile, it is already known that a network of cat houses will soon appear in the city. One of them is going to be placed near the Department of Internal Affairs for a stray cat, which has been coming there for a long time. In addition, according to Irina Sayfutdinova, such houses will be installed near each GOM in Tashkent, so they can be monitored by video cameras. This will make it possible to ensure that their occupants are not harmed and the structure itself is not damaged.

The facilities will be maintained at the expense of sponsors and law enforcement headquarters staff, as well as everyone who loves animals. The questions of sanitary and epidemiological norms, cleaning in the lodges, vaccination and sterilization of cats, registration of special passports for them are under discussion. It is planned to involve veterinary clinics in the project on a voluntary basis.

THERE SHOULD BE LESS CRUELTY TOWARD ANIMALS

The director of the shelter for homeless animals, Iroda Matkarimova, believes that cat houses can even beautify the city. But now she is more concerned about other issues: it is important to introduce the concept of "conditionally owned animals," which means homeless cats and dogs who are looked after by the public. The activities of the animal catching and control services should also be critically examined and modernized, she believes.

The head of the Society for the Protection of Animals, Timur Aripov, insists that the city must not be cleansed of cats under any circumstances.

- Cats are necessary to control the reproduction of rats and prevent the spread of infections carried by rodents. Without cats, the population will face a serious problem. A public education program needs to be implemented as well. The main idea: you may not like animals - it is your choice, the main thing is not to treat them cruelly, - summarized Timur Aripov.

Most people in Tashkent liked the charity initiative. Many wrote to the Department of Internal Affairs saying they wanted to create homes for street cats in their backyards as well and offered to help the project. People are surprised and delighted not only by the houses themselves, many people build them on their own initiative, but the fact that government agencies became involved in this humane movement and gave it some solid status and legal protection. Someday this project, which unites police officers, city residents, journalists, bloggers, community activists, entrepreneurs, and veterinary clinics, will become commonplace and no one would think of it any differently.

I predict that there will be some of our readers who think that law enforcement has better things to do than protect cats. And they are right in their own way. But is fostering a generation that is kind and merciful, resistant to crime, a less noble task than fighting crime? Surely, if there are fewer sadists and cruel aggressors in society, life will become calmer.

Date of publication: 22.01.2020

Author: Elena Kuznecova

Source: https://mvdmedia.ru/publications/shield-and-sword/problema/byt-v-bezopasnosti-i-koshke-priyatno-/