Animal rights groups in Lahore claim activists are being harassed for raising concerns about killing of stray dogs
The groups said the Lahore High Court had approved the TNVR (Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate and Release) policy in 2021 to control the stray dog population through sterilization and vaccination instead of killing the animals. PHOTO: ASIF MEHMOOD
LAHORE:
Animal rights groups on Monday accused local authorities of violating court orders and Punjab’s approved TNVR policy by allegedly resuming the killing of stray dogs in Lahore and other parts of the province.
Representatives of the Give Us Life Animal Welfare Society and the National Alliance of Animal Rights Activists and Advocates Pakistan made the allegations during a press conference at the Lahore Press Club. They claimed that activists who raised concerns over the issue were also harassed.
The groups said the Lahore High Court had approved the TNVR (Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate and Release) policy in 2021 to control the stray dog population through sterilization and vaccination instead of killing the animals.
Animal rights activist and co-founder of the organization, Aafia Khan, said the World Health Organization also recommended the TNVR model for countries like Pakistan, where urban and rural areas coexist. However, she claimed that the local authorities had continued to kill dogs in Lahore over the past few years despite the court’s directions.
She alleged that the Metropolitan Corporation Lahore staff caught stray dogs and allegedly kept them for a few days before taking them to areas near Saggian for killing. According to her, such actions violated court orders and posed risks to both the environment and animal welfare.
Advocate Altamash Saeed said the TNVR policy was developed during a Lahore High Court case involving the local government, livestock and health departments. He claimed that relevant institutions did not implement the policy and instead continued to kill stray dogs.
He said committees from chief secretary level down to tehsil level had been formed for implementation of the policy, but meetings of these committees had not been held. He also stressed the need for stronger enforcement of animal welfare laws and public awareness of animal rights.
Read more: Controversy grows over culling of stray dogs in Lahore
Saeed said animal rights, environmental protection and civic responsibility should be included in curricula to promote humane behavior in society.
Jamaat-e-Islami Public Assistance Committee in Lahore President Qaiser Sharif said killing stray dogs was not a permanent solution to the problem. He said the government’s animal protection measures were inadequate and called for large-scale implementation of the TNVR program along with rescue centers and a helpline.
Sharif said his organization had been campaigning on the issue for the past 10 months and had drawn up eight recommendations to deal with stray dog attacks and population control through sterilization.
Participant Haider Shah claimed that he accompanied Aafia to the Metropolitan Corporation Lahore office to seek information about captured dogs. He alleged that officials initially assured them the dogs would be vaccinated and released, but later changed their minds, leading to an argument after which the police were called.
The organizations urged Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to stop the alleged dog killing campaign, ensure implementation of the TNVR policy and investigate incidents of harassment and FIRs registered against animal rights activists.
