Data indicates that 150,000 people across Punjab have suffered dog bites in the last six months.
LAHORE:
The growing stray dog population in Punjab has become a serious concern for public safety and animal welfare, as dog-biting incidents increase along with reports of inhumane killings, highlighting gaps in the implementation of existing policies.
In a recent case, Yasir Khan, a father of four from Umerkay Kalan in Sambrial tehsil, Sialkot, allegedly died after being bitten by a stray dog. Official data indicates that nearly 150,000 people across Punjab have suffered dog bites in the last six months.
Residents say packs of stray dogs are increasingly a threat to daily life. Farah Shehzad, a resident of Garhi Shahu, said: “Stray dogs roam in packs. Children and adults cannot leave their houses safely.” Asifa Khan of Canal Road added: “Killing dogs is not a solution. The government must take effective and permanent measures to control their population.”
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Animal rights organizations point to the Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate and Release (TNVR) policy, approved by the Punjab government in 2022, as a scientifically sound approach to control stray dogs. “The goal of the TNVR is to protect citizens from dog bites and rabies,” said animal rights activist Aiza Haider. He added that the poor implementation of the policy has contributed to public anger and the continued use of inhumane methods.
Dr Talha Yazdani, deputy director of Punjab Livestock Lahore and veterinarian at Burki Veterinary Hospital, said, “In the last few months, 300 dogs have been sterilized and 250 vaccinated at our centre. Bringing stray dogs from the countryside is the responsibility of local governments, but the dogs run away at the sight of nets. Dart guns should be allowed to sedate them, as is done with wild animals.”
He also explained that the growing population of urban dogs is related to breeding patterns: “A male dog can mate with several females in a single season. Sterilizing male dogs could be a more practical and cost-effective approach.” Dr. Yazdani highlighted the public health aspect and noted that “Pakistan has committed to becoming rabies-free by 2030, making large-scale vaccination of stray dogs inevitable.”
Read more: The LHC allows stray dogs to be killed with humane methods
Earlier, in a landmark ruling, the Lahore High Court banned the killing of stray dogs by shooting, poisoning or other inhumane methods, declaring such actions illegal and unconstitutional throughout Punjab. The ruling prompted the provincial government to implement the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Policy 2021, which provides for the humane capture, vaccination, sterilization, tagging and release of stray dogs.
Dr Haider Ali Khan, spokesperson for the Department of Livestock and Dairy Development, said municipal staff will capture dogs and transport them to veterinary centers for sterilization before returning them to their localities.
Despite the Lahore High Court’s ban on killing stray dogs, complaints continue across the province about dogs being poisoned or shot. Experts and citizens say the problem requires scientific, humane and policy-based interventions, rather than reactive measures, to ensure public safety while respecting animal rights.
