A public auction to sell three dogs seized during an illegal hunting operation, organized by the Regional Department of Agriculture in the Sousse governorate, has sparked widespread outrage in Tunisia. The dogs were shown in poor condition, trapped in miserable and catastrophic circumstances. On Tuesday, the Agriculture Department held the public auction for the seized items, which consisted of three Saluki hunting dogs seized after authorities discovered a prohibited nighttime hunting operation. However, the images released of these dogs caused shock and anger among Tunisians.
The dogs appeared in a dire state, looking emaciated and hungry, with their skeletal frames clearly visible due to extreme hunger and thirst. One of the dogs was unable to stand and seemed to be choking on the rope tied around its neck. Users on social media criticized the way these dogs were treated, condemning their seizure and the perception of the dogs as guilty parties in the illegal hunting operation. One blogger wrote, "There is no evidence they were fed; they were left to starve. Why this mistreatment of animals? They should be treated kindly."
Activist Kamel Rihai commented, "It’s a scene from a horror story. Is this how dogs are tied up? What is this violence and the miserable treatment of animals?" Meanwhile, a blogger named Kawther Meddeb questioned, "Why are three dogs seized and sold at a public auction? Have all other options for punishing the offender committing the illegal hunting expired?" She suggested that it would have been better to seize the hunting rifle or impose a monetary fine.
