LAHORE: A group of animal rights activists denounced the recent wave of dog culling in the city during a press conference at the press club on Tuesday.

Instead, they offered their services to help vaccinate the stray dogs and thereby take responsibility to handle the culling. “We are severely saddened by this inhuman activity by the local government,” said Ayeza Haider, one of the organisers of the press conference and the chairperson for Voice for the Voiceless. She was accompanied by Aniza Khan, Advocate Hamza Butt and others.

“We have also had meetings with the city district government and are about to sign an agreement to solve this issue humanely by constituting a team comprising government representatives and the civil society that aims to make street dogs safe and human-friendly instead of ruthlessly killing them.”

Under the ambit of the Animal Rights Advocacy Group, Haider pointed out that they had spoken to the Lahore deputy commissioner (DC) who had agreed to set up a shelter and adopt the Trap Neuter Vaccinate and Release (TNVR) system. “This will eradicate rabies and make dogs safe,” she told Dawn. “But while the DC agreed to this, the local government was still carrying out culling operations across Punjab.”

Advocate Butt had already petitioned the Lahore High Court in response to which a judge had directed the livestock department to submit a policy for an alternate system. However, Haider said, that policy had been lying with the relevant minister for months.

“Once an alternate system is brought in, we will also get a legal cover for TNVR,” she said. “Even if 80 per cent dogs are vaccinated, their population will be under control. They can be tagged as well.”

She added that Pakistan had internationally committed to eradicate rabies by 2030 and the TNVR system had even been recommended by the World Health Organisation.

“There should be no shortcut to this,” Haider said. “Treat it scientifically and call it the Turkey Model.”

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2021