Domestic animals act

Pakistan lacks a Domestic Animals Act under which cases of animal attacks should be litigated

The two German Sheperds that attacked and seriously injured a lawyer in Karachi have been put to sleep following an out-of-court agreement reached between the owner of the dogs and the victim. While there are a few who support the conditions of the agreement, many on social media have criticised the decision claiming that it sets a dangerous precedence for animal cruelty and killing. After receiving backlash online, the ACF, an animal rescue foundation, decided to refund the million-dollar donation — a part of the settlement — to remove itself from the controversy.

First things first, let us not conflate stray dog bite cases with such incidents. Stray dogs are often abused, neglected and beaten because of which they see humans as a threat. On the other hand, it is the responsibility of the owner to train and control their domesticated animals. Therefore, the two situations should be treated as separate phenomenon. But, one must ask: will euthanising these voiceless dogs do any good? It may prevent further attacks, but the broader issue at hand still remains. Pakistan lacks a Domestic Animals Act under which such cases should be litigated. A comprehensive act should be promulgated after careful consideration with animal rights experts and other stakeholders. This will serve as a form of legal framework for these voiceless animals and bring about some clarity on the matter. Under such an act, domestic animals that display aggressive behaviour can be deemed “menacing” and legal action can be taken therewith. The owner will also be obliged to comply with the rules, which must entail training and conditioning their pets. In some countries, owners can be jailed for up to 5 years if their pet endangers someone’s life. Here, we merely kill the animal to save our own skin.

The fact of the matter is that these voiceless animals cannot defend themselves. It is up to us to protect and uphold the sanctity of life. The first line of action now should be to register domestic animals and their owners at the earliest.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 18^th, 2021.

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