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ecently, pictures and videos circulating on social media about the pathetic condition of dogs in a specific population centre for stray dogs have drawn the ire of civil society and animal rights activists.
The Capital Development Authority’s Stray Dog Population Centre was set up in 2022 in Tarlai area with the aim of safeguarding animal rights. However, the centre has fallen into a state of neglect and disrepair, possibly because it has not been receiving funding and attention from the local administration.
The centre was established to ethically remove stray dogs from the streets of the capital city and discourage measures such as dog culling. Civil society activists and animal rights defenders have raised similar concerns about the treatment of rescued animals in the past.
“There is a lack of medical expertise, animal friendly behaviour and training facilities for stray dogs at the centre,” says Altamush Saeed, a lawyer and an animal rights activist. “Such ill treatment and negligence reflects the general attitude of administration towards animals,” he adds. “The rescues need assistance rather than harsh treatment and abuse.”
The Islamabad High Court has ordered a comprehensive regulatory framework to address dire conditions at the Stray Dog Population Centre in Tarlai.
The petition, filed by several members of the civil society including Saeed, stated that abuse, neglect and mismanagement were commonplace at the CDA facility. It said many stray dogs had already died “from starvation, illness and lack of medical care.”
The court ordered the CDA and federal authorities to develop a policy to run this centre. It directed the CDA to ensure that protocols such as rabies vaccination and licensing were followed, shelter standards were met and animals were provided with humane veterinary care.
According to the petitioners, since the opening of the centre “not a single dog has been released with the required ear tag. Meanwhile, hundreds have been left without food, water or treatment. A few weeks ago, at least 40 critically ill dogs taken from the facility had to be euthanised after being transferred to a local shelter.”
The civil society members hailed the court directions as a “major victory for voiceless stray animals.” They hoped that the centre would have proper medical facilities following the court orders.
“There is a lack of medical expertise, animal friendly behaviour and training facilities for stray dogs at the centre,” says Altamush Saeed, a lawyer and an animal rights activist. “Such ill treatment and negligence reflects the general attitude of administration towards animals,” he adds. “The rescues need assistance rather than harsh treatment and abuse.”
On the other hand, CDA officials have denied maltreatment of stray dogs at the centre.
“The commotion started when a sick stray dog died in the centre. After that, a campaign was built against the facility without proper investigation,” an official working at the centre told The News on Sunday on the condition of anonymity. He also denied a lack of funding, equipment or vaccines. “The purpose of this propaganda is to defame the CDA and the centre,” he said.
However, he admitted that the number of stray dogs sheltering at the centre had declined. The centre currently houses only 30 dogs. It can accommodate up to 500.
“The dogs are freed after treatment and recovery,” the official said. “We retain only the dogs that have a pattern of showing aggression, or complaints regarding them,” he said, adding the centre was being run “smoothly.”
Last year, media had run news that the stray dog centre lacked funds, capacity and ability to control the population of stray dogs.
The SDPC was established on the direction of the IHC “to control the population of stray dogs through a trap, neuter, vaccinate and release (TNVR) strategy.” Initially, the centre’s monthly target was to neuter and release at least 800 dogs.
According to civil society activists, in the beginning, the centre performed well but, gradually, the situation started getting bad.
Some years ago, according to some reports, the families of foreign diplomats in Islamabad had started a campaign for sheltering stray dogs rather than killing them and urged the authorities to neuter them to stop reproduction.
In late 2018, Faryal Nawaz, a co-founder of Help Welfare Organisation, an Islamabad-based group that provides rescue services for stray and wild animals, filed a writ petition in the IHC demanding that the practice of shooting and poisoning healthy stray dogs by the CDA and the MCI’s sanitation directorate was inhumane and in violation of the constitution, laws and Islamic principles and should be stopped. Later, the court issued instructions that appropriate standing operating procedures be laid down for dog catchers.
The author is a staff reporter. He can be reached at vaqargillanigmail.com