This cruelty must stop

It was heartening to see that the Senate Standing Committee on Interior has finally passed the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Amendment) Bill, 2018. The bill has given a ray of hope to hundreds of animal activists who have been working tirelessly with limited funds to help the voiceless. Now it is up to the authorities to supervise that the bill is being implemented in an efficient manner. Animals – both stray and domestic – live a miserable life. We see animals, mostly donkeys, loaded with heavy weight, while the traffic police choose to watch this cruelty quietly. The authorities should direct them to impose a fine on people involved in this cruelty.

It is hoped that the bill will also play its role to stop the inhumane culling of stray dogs. Poisoning them or shooting them with bullets is not a viable option to reduce stray population. Additionally, the authorities should also have a look at different animal markets where animals are kept in the most terrible and miserable conditions. Trapped inside tiny cages, these animals get little food to eat. Do these profiteers have a licence for breeding animals? Although there is a lot to do to build an even more powerful movement for animal protection, this legislation is a step forward to an era where animals are given a safe environment to live in.

Amna Khan

Lahore