Capital gets shelter home for stray dogs, cats and donkeys

Over 100 of these animals to be provided shelter in first phase

ISLAMABAD:

The Comprehensive Disaster Response Service (CDRS), a world-renowned welfare trust, has set up the first shelter home for stray, injured dogs, cats and donkeys in Islamabad.

Special arrangements have been made for the training of injured animals in the shelter home. Under the CDRS’s Benji project, stray dogs will be vaccinated instead of being shot and poisoned, which will reduce their breeding ability and make them more humane.

In the first phase, more than 100 stray dogs, cats and donkeys will be provided facilities under this project. The inaugural ceremony of the CDRS Benji project was held in Islamabad, said a press release issued here on Friday.

Speaking at the event, CDRS founder Todd Shea said that during his visit to Turkey, he learned that dogs and cats were well cared for in Turkey. “Work has begun to care for 100 dogs, donkeys and cats. The scope of the programme will be extended to the whole of Islamabad and then to the whole country. Shooting one dog with a bullet marker makes other dogs more aggressive and more bloodthirsty than before. The vaccine will lose the ability to breed,” he said, adding that these animals will live their natural life and die their natural death.

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Todd said that not all dogs behave aggressively. Dogs are bullied and many dogs die in tragic conditions due to lack of medical facilities. A platform has also been built to commemorate the tragic deaths of animals.

Speaking at the event, senior journalist Katrina Hosain, who is working on CDSR’s animal safety project, said that the project would rescue stray dogs and vaccinate them instead of killing them with poison and bullets. “Vaccines will destroy the ability of such dogs to breed and they will become human friendly. Donkeys that have been used to lifting weights all their lives will also be protected from dying in bad conditions. Dogs and cats will be rescued from the streets. Dogs have been killed for the last 40 to 50 years, but their population has not diminished,” she said.

She said that over 100 dogs would be provided facilities in the centre. An ambulance will be used to shift the injured animals. A dog that is found to have the rabies virus will be killed without delay. Injured sick and emaciated dogs will be treated.

Under the project, the dog will be given bread instead of stoning.

Senator Mushahid Hussain said that “our religion teaches love of all creatures of Allah. In this case, the CDRS project will be the best project which will be fully supported by the government”.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 16^th, 2021.