Twenty years ago, engineer Manar Helmy started her voluntary activity to rescue stray pets such as dogs and cats in most governorates of Egypt. She provided food and necessary veterinary medicines to treat them. Her mission was boosted by the emergence of social media over the past 15 years, with the help of volunteers and donor contributions.
However, donations have become more challenging over the past five years due to the economic crisis, rising inflation, and the devaluation of the Egyptian pound against the dollar, affecting the prices of food and veterinary medicines for animals. Prices have notably doubled, and the drug shortage crisis in Egypt has impacted animal vaccines and medicines, opening the door to exploitation by the black market mafia.
“Five years ago, we used to buy an 18-kilogram bag of German dry food for cats and dogs for
500 EGP ($10.37). Now, it costs over 5,000 EGP ($103.69), and this is for medium-quality imported dry food. It was available to all breeders and rescuers, and we relied on it for its ease of feeding animals without leaving foul odors. Local alternatives are not safe. We also used to buy triangle cheese to feed street cats, but its price increased from five EGP ($0.10) to about 50 EGP ($1.04), making it impossible for us to continue our work,” Manar told Zawia3.
In 2024, the average prices of dry food saw a significant rise. A 2-kilogram bag now costs between 590 to 675 EGP ($12.23 to $14.00), a 10-kilogram bag costs between 1,950 to 2,140 EGP ($40.45 to $44.38), and a 20-kilogram bag costs 3,125 EGP ($64.81).
In addition to the significant rise in veterinary medicine prices, animal rescuers and breeders, including Manar, struggle to find many types of medicines, especially antibiotics, cold medicines, allergy and anti-inflammatory drugs. The rising costs of food and treatment have led many cat and dog breeders of good breeds to abandon them, leaving them on the streets where they often die or suffer severe disabilities and injuries from attacks by stray dogs and car accidents. They also struggle to find food or digest spoiled leftovers in garbage bins, increasing the burden on animal rescuers.
Veterinary medicine prices have risen by 50% since the beginning of this year, and animal vaccinations have increased by 105%, with the price of a single dose now 350 EGP ($7.26) compared to 170 EGP ($3.53) last year. The prices of dog vaccines range between 200 to 250 EGP ($4.14 to $5.18), but their shortage has allowed black market manipulation. The official price for rabies vaccines is 105 to 175 EGP ($2.18 to $3.63), and leptospirosis vaccines are 175 to 210 EGP ($3.63 to $4.35). The official price for cat vaccines ranges from 200 to 300 EGP($4.14 to $6.22), with the quad vaccine for cats around 250 EGP($5.18) and rabies vaccines between 150 to 200 EGP ($3.11 to $4.14). Deworming tablets for cats cost about 50 EGP ($1.04) each.
“I feed about 200 street dogs and cats. I used to cook rice or pasta mixed with potatoes and chicken legs, heads, and broth for them, costing 1 to 2 EGP ($0.02 to $0.04) per kilogram. Now it costs 30 EGP ($0.62). I also take care of their treatment, but the costs have become high. Some animal shelters have gone bankrupt and had to leave their cats and dogs on the streets or distribute them to larger shelters,” adds Manar.
The pet food market in Egypt was worth 12.0 billion dollars in 2023, according to Statista’s market research data. Egypt imports cat and dog food worth 350 million dollars annually, with dog food making up 70% of pet food, followed by cat food. Egypt’s pet food imports dropped to 22.5 million dollars in the first four months of 2023, compared to 48.1 million dollars in the same period in 2022, a decline of 53.2%, according to a report from the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics.
The Specter of Shelter Closures
Basma Ahmed, one of the owners of pet shelters, is struggling with the economic crisis and inflation. The specter of closure threatens her shelter, which houses about 500 dogs and 100 cats, known as “Rooh,” located in Abu Sir, Giza, after five years of operation due to rising costs.
Basma deals with food suppliers daily, buying between 600 to 700 kilograms of food per day, including chicken legs, heads, and bones, as well as bread, rice, pasta, and potatoes, all of which have seen significant price increases over the past two years, along with many pet supplies and medicines.
“Previously, I bought powder to kill insects on animals for 150 to 200 EGP ($3.11 to $4.14), but now it costs 950 EGP ($19.71), and we need about ten packs monthly. The price of dry food has quadrupled, and food and medicine costs have risen by 300%. I had to increase shelter workers’ wages to keep up with inflation. We have 12 workers divided into morning and evening shifts, preparing food for animals, cleaning, removing their waste, and helping administer medicines. Their wages range from 3,000 to 4,000 EGP ($62.20 to $82.92),” Basma told Zawia3.
Basma asserts that many dog and cat breeders are abandoning their pets due to the tripled cost of feeding them, and her shelter includes many animals rescued from the streets that were abandoned by their owners. These animals, from various known breeds, are at risk of dying from hunger or fear in the streets, or from road accidents and attacks by stray dogs.
“There is no official or international body supporting shelters. They rely on donations and our personal funds. Due to inflation, most donors no longer have surplus money to donate to animals. For me, feeding the cats and dogs in my shelter costs 5,000 EGP ($103.68) daily, or 150,000 EGP ($3,110.45) monthly, not to mention medicines, veterinary clinics, rent, transport, workers’ wages, cleaning supplies, and gas cylinders for cooking food. Most shelter owners are heavily in debt, and many shelters have closed, leaving the animals to suffer,” she adds.
There are an estimated 30 million stray dogs in Egypt’s streets, according to media statements by the Secretary-General of the Veterinary Syndicate, Mohamed Saif. Around eight million pets are kept in Egyptian homes, including about five million cats and three million dogs, according to the Egyptian Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ESPCA). A recent statistical study by Euromonitor International in 2023 showed that 10 million people in Egypt keep pets, making it the leading Arab country in pet ownership, despite the poor economic conditions.
The authorities intend to impose fees for issuing dog licenses, ranging from a minimum of 1,000 EGP ($20.74) to a maximum of 50,000 EGP ($1,036.99). Additionally, a fine of up to 500,000 EGP ($10,369.88) will be imposed on those who keep dogs at home without a license, according to the executive regulations of the Law on Licensing and Possession of Dogs and Stray Animals. According to Neda Hafez, a certified civil society coordinator and volunteer in animal welfare who attended the meetings of the committee proposing the executive regulations, Law 29/2023 requires the completion of the executive regulations to start implementing the law. However, it has currently been delayed, and no announcement has been made about its completion and issuance. Hafez confirmed that the draft dog licensing law discussed by the Local Development Committee in the House of Representatives has not yet been approved or implemented. The cost of licensing a dog currently in effect, according to a publication by the Veterinary Directorate of Giza, is 104.30 EGP ($2.16), with an additional fee of 3 EGP ($0.06) for the animal’s health card if the dog does not already have one.
Drowning in Debt
Dina El-Shorbagy is also struggling to prevent her shelter, “Hayat for Pets,” from closing due to accumulating debts caused by high costs, fewer donations, and the many cats and dogs abandoned by their owners. Some owners bring their pets to her shelter, promising to cover their expenses but stop paying due to economic conditions, putting the shelter in significant financial trouble.
Dina tells Zawia3 that, in addition to high prices, many veterinary medicines are unavailable and sold on the black market, including pills for treating mange and worms, and medications for stomach, liver, and kidney diseases. Vaccines, which should cost between 200 to 300 EGP ($4.14 to $6.22), are now sold for 650 EGP ($13.48) on the black market.
She says she can no longer buy local dry food for the shelter’s 300 dogs and 180 cats, as its price has jumped from 300 to 800 EGP ($6.22 to $16.59). She relies on food donations from benefactors, as she cannot afford the 2,800 to 3,200 EGP ($58.05 to $66.36) daily for dry food, plus chicken legs (now food for people), milk, cheese, rent, energy, veterinary services, repairs, and staff wages, starting from 6,000 EGP ($124.42) per month
“Most of the cats in the shelter were abandoned by their owners, some of whom brought their cats and left them. Some cats die of grief within two months of abandonment because they are very sensitive and can suffer from depression and shock, losing the will to live after leaving their home. They may stop eating, their immune system can deteriorate, making them vulnerable to viruses and fungi, or they may lose weight due to sadness. A few cats survive in shelters after overcoming grief, while those left on the street face certain death. Dogs cope better and have a higher survival chance when abandoned,” Dina adds, revealing that many known shelters have closed, leaving hundreds of animals on the street. A few have been rescued, while others died or were left to an unknown fate.
There are no specific statistics on the number of pet shelters in Egypt, but several prominent animal protection organizations include the Egyptian Society for the Protection of Animal Rights, the Egyptian Society for Mercy to Animals, the Egyptian Society for Assistance and Protection of Animals, the Egyptian Society of Animal Friends, the Animal Care in Egypt, Animal Haven, Giza Animal Shelter, the charitable society “Brooke,” the Egyptian Society for the Protection of Animal Rights (SPARE), the Friends of Animals Society “ESAF,” and the Life Touch Society.
Non-Payment
The struggle faced by pet shelters and rescue volunteers amid the economic crisis also extends to pet hotels, some of which face bankruptcy and closure. These include Al-Rahma Hotel, despite being commercial profit-seeking ventures, unlike shelters.
Dania Safwat, an official at Al-Rahma Hotel for Pets, tells Zawia3 about the hotel’s crisis, which provides weekly and monthly boarding services for dogs and cats brought by their owners. Currently housing 150 cats and 120 dogs, the hotel charges relatively small fees, not exceeding 1,000 EGP ($20.74) per month for a dog and 500 EGP ($10.37) for a cat. However, the economic crisis and the tripling of pet food prices, along with the high cost of poultry, have created a budget crisis.
“We used to buy a bag of dry food for 400 EGP ($8.29), but now it costs 1,200 EGP ($24.89). We used to leave it out for the animals all day, but now we provide it twice a day and offer fresh meals of chicken or chicken bones mixed with bread and potatoes,” says Dania, noting that many pet owners in Egypt can no longer afford to care for their pets, leading them to abandon them in the streets or leave them in shelters.
Dania recalls how the hotel started as a commercial project in the Saqqara area of Giza’s Haram district seven years ago, initially providing boarding services for dogs. However, the management decided to turn part of it into a charitable shelter for pets, funded by the hotel. But financial issues spiraled out of control as many hotel clients abandoned their pets and stopped paying boarding fees after a week or two, influenced by the economic crisis. Meanwhile, the cost of pet food, medicines, and supplies skyrocketed.
Facing these circumstances threatening bankruptcy, the hotel management had to issue notices urging pet owners to pay their dues and opened the door for symbolic donations to keep their project and the shelter afloat, hoping to avoid closure.
Abandoning Pets
Nada Hafez, a civil society coordinator volunteering for animal welfare, has observed a significant increase in the number of known breed cats and dogs abandoned by their owners. They are left in the streets, at the doors of pet shelters, or veterinary clinics without payment for treatment due to the steep rise in the price of dry food, which now costs around 2,900 EGP ($60.13) for a local bag and over 5,860 EGP ($121.57) for imported ones. Veterinary medicines like deworming tablets, which now cost over 3,000 EGP ($62.22), and mange treatment pills, priced at 900 EGP ($18.67) for half a tablet, as well as vaccines, including the rabies vaccine now costing 750 EGP ($15.55) and the eight-way vaccine over 500 EGP ($10.37), have also increased significantly.
“Last week, I found a small Griffon dog in a terrible state in the streets of Hada’iq al-Qubba, burying itself in the sand out of fear, with its fur completely shaved off. Its owner had thrown it out of a car because it had a skin disease, unwilling to bear the treatment costs. In the Mohandessin area, I found a German Shepherd abandoned on the street with mange because its owner didn’t want to pay 900 EGP ($18.67) for half a mange treatment tablet. Shelters are full of German Shepherds, Huskies, Golden Retrievers, and Persian cats left by their owners. For instance, one large shelter has 70 Golden Retrievers. The Friday market in Cairo is filled with known breed dogs and cats sold for a pittance between 150 to 300 EGP ($3.11 to $6.22), where they are mistreated and abused,” Nada told Zawia3.
Nada explains that the phenomenon of abandoning pets has noticeably increased since the COVID-19 pandemic and people’s fears of catching the virus from them. The economic crisis, the rising prices of pet food, veterinary medicines, vaccines, and licenses have further exacerbated the issue, leading to a significant number of pets being left on the streets and in shelters, amid a lack of awareness of animal rights and welfare.
While Basma, Dina, and Dania struggle to save their shelters from debt and closure, burdened with the responsibilities of providing shelter, food, and medicine for their animals, the burdens on rescuers and volunteers like Manar and Nada continue to grow with the increasing number of cats and dogs abandoned by their owners, unable to afford their upkeep. Ultimately, Egypt’s pets silently suffer the consequences of the economic crisis, facing uncertain futures much like their human counterparts..
