The discovery of a newborn baby girl being carried by a stray dog through the streets of Tripoli, Lebanon, shocked residents of the poor town.
The dog was carrying a bag, when a bystander heard a baby crying. He was able to remove the bag from the dog and discovered the kid inside.
The infant, who was covered in bruises, was brought to the Islamic Charity Hospital before being moved to the Tripoli Governmental Hospital after security services and legal officials were alerted of the discovery.
Apparently, the infant was only a few hours old but the precise moment she was discarded is unknown. The hospital declined to offer any other details, describing her condition as severe but stable.
Tripoli journalist, Ghassan Rifi, claimed he had never witnessed an incident as upsetting as this one:
“Usually, when someone wants to give up their kids, they place them in front of an orphanage or a police station. However, this baby was dumped in an area that is considered very dangerous at night, as a lot of stray dogs can be found. The municipality had previously tried to poison these dogs but animal welfare organizations refused and called for their protection.” he said.
Rifi claimed that although the baby was discovered in a non-residential location, it was near the Al-Tal neighborhood. Social media rumors about who might have abandoned the infant multiplied as the news went viral.
“Is it possible that whoever dumped her wanted to get rid of her by letting the dogs eat her in this area infested with stray dogs, and that she was saved by that man who happened to be there by chance?” Rifi said.
Authorities are looking into it and once the girl recovers and the public prosecutor is notified, if no one offers to adopt her, she will be placed in an orphanage.
A few days before the baby's discovery, nationwide outrage had been sparked by claims of physical abuse of kids at a Mount Lebanon daycare facility. The issue came to light after a facility cleaner recorded instances of the assault and sent the parents of the children the tapes. For the business's owner and one of its employees, arrest warrants were issued.
Another tragic incident involved 6-year-old Lynn Taleb, who passed away after being raped less than two weeks ago. The mother and grandfather of the child have reportedly been taken into custody as a result of the complicated and ongoing investigation.
According to a report from the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, children in the nation run the risk of enduring significant crimes such as child labor, early marriages, and family violence.