Three animal welfare societies submitted requests to Cairo University Veterinary Medicine Faculty Dean Fathy Farouq demanding investigations on violations they say were committed by the faculty against animals.

The societies accuse the faculty of experimenting on animals in violation of international standards.

International animal welfare organizations have criticized Egypt after several incidents, such as the death of a donkey due to electric shock, and the torture of dogs that were thrown on top of the faculty building. The incidents garnered attention of social media users.

Ahmed al-Sherbiny, head of the Egyptian Assembly for Animal Friends, called for an end to these violations, which he said include unmerciful killing of animals that had undergone educational or research experiments, and the killing of animals by electrical shock or injection with petroleum substances.

The societies called on Farouq to interrogate the perpetrators and take measures against them in order to stop brutality committed against the animals before, during and after the experiments. They gave him one week to announce the outcome of the investigations.

Sherbiny said those violations do not conform to religious teachings or human principles, and that they have been committed at the faculty for years.

In a press release on Monday, the societies said holding experiments on living animals is internationally condemned because similar alternatives are available, which is the technique followed by many countries that care about animal rights.

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm