Our government must take notice of the need for animal welfare
KARACHI: The concept of animal rescue centres is not very popular in Pakistan. Karachi has only 10 or 12 rescue centres, despite it being the biggest city of the country.
These centres, due to their limited resources, only work on rescuing sick or injured animals, despite the numerous stray cats and dogs we see on the road. These animals are not vaccinated, and some dogs can cause rabies too.
Sometimes people call these rescue centres in case animals are injured, but these centres also charge a transport fee or ask for donations to fund their operations. Since many people cannot afford to do this, many animals are left uncared for.
Sometimes citizens come across dangerous and poisonous reptiles like snakes. In such situations, citizens need to have an urgent access to shelters whose personnel are trained to deal with such reptiles. Sometimes citizens try to deal with such reptiles and animals themselves, which is dangerous.
People who have pets in their homes need to get them vaccinated regularly, but there are few authentic veterinary services in the country. Many quack vets operate clinics and endanger lives of animals.
In many countries, if an animal contracts an incurable disease, doctors euthanise the animal to prevent the disease from spreading. Their animal control and rescue centres provide urgent care and all sick and injured animals are given shelter and treatment. Our government must take notice of the need for animal welfare and provide facilities to rescue and treat animals.
Subul Shariq
Published in The Express Tribune, April 8th, 2019.
Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.
