Animal rights groups in Lahore allege that activists are being harassed for expressing concern over killings 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 by sterilizing and vaccinating instead of killing the animals. PHOTO: ASIF MEHMOOD
LAHORE:
Animal rights organizations on Monday accused local authorities of violating court orders and the TNVR policy passed in Punjab by allegedly resuming killing of stray dogs in Lahore and other parts of the province.
Representatives of the Give Us Life Animal Welfare Society and the Pakistan National Alliance of Animal Rights Activists and Defenders made the allegations during a press conference at the Lahore Press Club. They claimed that activists raising concerns about the issue were also being 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 by sterilizing and vaccinating 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, he alleged that local authorities had continued dog killing operations in Lahore for the past few years despite court directions.
He alleged that Metropolitan Corporation Lahore staff captured stray dogs and allegedly kept them for a few days before taking them to areas near Saggian to kill them. 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 under a Lahore High Court case with the involvement of the local government, animal husbandry and health departments. He alleged that the relevant institutions were not implementing the policy and instead continued to kill stray dogs.
He said that committees from the chief secretary level to the tehsil level had been formed for implementation of the policy, but no meetings of these committees had been held. He also highlighted the need for stricter enforcement of animal welfare laws and greater 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 educational curricula to promote human behavior in society.
Lahore Jamaat-e-Islami Public Relief Committee president Qaiser Sharif said killing stray dogs was not a permanent solution to the problem. He said government measures for animal protection were insufficient and demanded large-scale implementation of the TNVR program along with rescue shelters and a helpline.
Sharif said his organization had been campaigning on the issue for the past 10 months and had prepared eight recommendations to address stray dog attacks and population control through sterilization.
Participant Haider Shah claimed that he accompanied Aafia to the Metropolitan Corporation office in Lahore to seek information about the captured dogs. He alleged that officials initially assured them that the dogs would be vaccinated and released, but then changed their stance, leading to an argument after which they called the police.
The organizations urged Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to stop the alleged dog killing campaign, ensure implementation of TNVR policy and investigate incidents of harassment and FIRs registered against animal rights activists.
