Animal rights groups in Lahore say activists are being harassed for expressing concerns over stray dog killings
The groups said the Lahore High Court 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 organizations on Monday accused local authorities of violating court orders and Punjab TNVR-approved policy by resuming the culling 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 Defenders of Pakistan made the allegations during a press conference at the Lahore Press Club. They claimed that activists who voiced concerns on the issue were also being harassed.
The groups said the Lahore High Court 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.
Aafia Khan, animal rights activist and co-founder of the organization, said the World Health Organization also recommends the TNVR model for countries like Pakistan, where urban and rural areas coexist. However, she alleged that local authorities continued their dog-killing operations in Lahore over the past few years, despite the court’s instructions.
She claimed that the staff of the Metropolitan Corporation of Lahore had captured stray dogs and kept them for a few days before taking them to areas near Saggian to kill them. She said such actions violated court decisions and posed risks to both the environment and animal welfare.
Lawyer Altamash Saeed said the TNVR policy was developed through a case before the Lahore High Court with the participation of the local government, animal husbandry and health departments. He alleged that the institutions concerned were not enforcing this policy and continued to kill stray dogs.
He said that committees had been formed from the chief secretary level to the tehsil level for implementation of the policy, but the meetings of these committees had not been held. He also stressed the need for stricter enforcement of animal welfare laws and public awareness of animal rights.
Read more: Controversy intensifies over killing of stray dogs in Lahore
Saeed said animal rights, environmental protection and civic responsibility should be included in educational programs to promote humane behavior in society.
Jamaat-e-Islami Lahore Public Relief Committee chairman Qaiser Sharif said killing stray dogs was not a permanent solution to the problem. He said the government’s animal protection measures 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 10 months and had prepared eight recommendations to combat stray dog attacks and population control through sterilization.
Participant Haider Shah claimed to have accompanied Aafia to the Metropolitan Corporation office in Lahore to seek information about the captured dogs. He alleged that authorities initially assured them that the dogs would be vaccinated and released, but then changed their position, leading to an argument following 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.
