In a disturbing incident on Defense Road in Lahore’s Kahna area, unidentified motorcyclists opened fire on stray dogs in a private housing community and killed several animals during the night.
CCTV recordings and photographs of the incident have emerged, which clearly shows armed individuals shooting at the dogs before they fled from the stage.
This act of violence took place despite a clear ban imposed by Lahore High Court about the killing of stray dogs.
The court has ordered the Punjab government to enforce TNVR (trap, castrate, vaccinate, release) policy aimed at controlling the stray dog population through human methods rather than deadly measures.
Residents of the area reported that the shooters arrived late at night, targeted the dogs and fled immediately after the shot.
The locals claim that this is not an isolated case; Similar events have been reported in other parts of the city where stray dogs are killed in the same way.
While citizens recognize that stray dog attacks – especially in children – pose a real danger and are a growing concern in urban areas, they also criticize the government authorities, especially municipal corporations and the livestock department, not to implement effective and human solutions.
There is currently no official government estimate of the stray dog population in Lahore. However, civil society groups and environmental organizations estimate that the city is home to between 30,000 and 35,000 stray dogs. The majority of these animals remain unwaccinated and unused, which increases public health risk.
Experts warn that unless TNVR policy is implemented correctly, the stray dog problem will continue to worsen.
They warn that citizens, in the absence of official intervention, can resort to harsh and illegal acts on their own, leading to additional legal and social complications.
