Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Rampant cyber bullying in schools has caused an outcry amongst pupils, teachers and parents and resulted in the kingdom blocking a social networking website described as 'vile', writes Anasuya Kesavan.
Littlegossip.com - which encourages users to 'spread, search, rate and discuss gossip in the community of your college or university'- has come under fire from families around the world.
GulfWeekly understands the crackdown in Bahrain came in response to requests by head teachers and principals of several schools in Bahrain to the Telecom Regulatory Authority (TRA) for action to be taken.
Although the website clearly states that users are encouraged to participate in the discussion forums and create posts 'so long as they are not illegal, obscene, defamatory, threatening, injurious or otherwise objectionable, and so long as they do not infringe the rights of others,' it does not pre-screen or monitor the content posted on the site that has until recently been free for everyone to view in the kingdom.
The website recently aroused resentment for its wide use by students studying at esteemed institutions, especially in the UK, for posting insulting and derogatory remarks of their peers and colleagues.
And they call it puppy love! Eight puppies left abandoned by the life-less body of their hanged mother are now thriving thanks to the kind-hearted care and attention shown by volunteer 'foster parents'.
Karen Campbell, Tammy Anderson, Louise O'Loan and Mary-Ann Hayes stepped forward to look after a pair of puppies each and provide them with four-hourly feeds to help them to survive.
The pups will soon be mature enough to be placed with the Bahrain Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (BSPCA) so that suitable permanent homes can be found for them.
In recent weeks there has been a catalogue of cruelty cases which have stunned the community starting with a dog found hanged in Saar, partly-burned and with its head beaten to pulp.
A few days later the bitch was found hanged in front of her two-week-old puppies in Sitra by a worker and the BSPCA's manager Paul Dukes was alerted. It is believed local youths were responsible and the puppies had been left for dead.
Pauline Richards of Delmon Boarding Kennels was contacted and she in turn called in animal lover Heather Fitzsimmons, a US expat and volunteer at Tony 'the dogfather' Walters' sanctuary, who for the past year has been helping to foster out abandoned mutts. She rallied her network of friends and the emergency foster parents were found.
The BSPCA's fund-raising co-ordinator Joyce Hughes said: "We were way too late to help the mother; the guys on the site had cut her down and buried her, so we collected the eight pups that were only just opening their eyes.
"They needed the specialist care and attention of foster parents. The next 72 hours for the orphaned pups were critical but all of the pups are now doing fine thanks to the dedication of these ladies.
"The pups will be returned to the BSPCA once they can fend for themselves where, all being well, they will be put up for adoption and the public in Bahrain can prove they DO have hearts and compassion and give these lovely little creatures a real chance in life after a very, very bad start."
This positive outcome, after a demoralising series of events for all animal lovers in the kingdom, has been further boosted by news that the long-awaited dream of a purpose-built animal sanctuary in Bahrain is finally taking shape.
Structural work on the dog pens has been completed on land at Askar, donated to the cause by His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa.
Two thirds of the costs have so far been covered for the BD330,000 project which includes 95 dog pens with internal air-conditioned 'kennel' areas and external runs, four large fenced enclosures for dog exercising and socialising, an administration building, a veterinary clinic with surgery and recovery room, a small lecture room for hosting school visits, a kitchen and store building, accommodation for eight members of staff, an electricity substation and generator and other utility buildings.
It will be 'robust and permanent' without requiring constant repairs like the current facility in Saar.
Nigel Hughes, chairman of the society, said: "Once the new centre is up and running smoothly, we can concentrate on providing services that Bahrain needs, doing what we can to reduce the population of stray animals, continuing to care for abandoned and abused animals, rehoming them where possible and lobbying the government to change the laws regarding animal cruelty and impose restrictions and regulations on the shops and markets in Bahrain who continue to trade in animal misery."
If any member of the public or commercial company can offer help with construction materials or wish to give a home to one of the abandoned pups contact bspca@batelco.com.bh
