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Animal rights: KU VC calls off dogs culling campaign

Paws director suggests getting the animals neutered instead of poisoning them

Our Correspondent November 10, 2015

Lack of awareness, limited facilities are some issues faced by animal welfare organisations. PHOTO: FILE

KARACHI: The University of Karachi vice-chancellor (VC) Dr Muhammad Qaiser called off the campaign to cull stray dogs on the campus, after representatives of the Pakistan Animal Welfare Society (Paws) met him to voice their concerns against the campaign.

Paws director Maheen Zia, accompanied by other activists, met Dr Qaiser on Tuesday, to discuss the culling of stray dogs in the varsity's campus. The university had been killing dogs on the campus by giving them poisoned food. It allegedly runs this campaign once a year and the university administration believes it is the only way to get rid of stray dogs. As a result, not only dogs but many other animals and birds also died after consuming the toxic substance.

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During the meeting on Tuesday, Paws director suggested the VC to call off the campaign and requested the university's administration to find an alternative solution that does not harm animals. Paws is a non-profitable organisation (NGO) that works to help animals.

On behalf of Paws, Zia suggested that instead of killing the stray animals, they should get the dogs neutered and let them free. Zia assured the VC that her organisation will work with the university to resolve the issue and set an example for people to opt for other solutions instead of killing them. She also encouraged the students to be a part of the campaign suggested by Paws and help them in the cause.

Dr Qaiser agreed to the solution proposed by the Paws and said, "The campaign will be one of its kind in Pakistan and I will be glad if it is going to start from the KU." The VC also asked the NGO to send him a written proposal regarding the campaign.

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Earlier, Dr Naseem Salahuddin, a former KU professor had also asked the university to stop the practice that was taking place at the university. Last year, he sent an application to the administration to put an end to the practice of killing dogs, but it was ignored. "It is ecologically wrong to let them [dogs] die as they are part of the ecological system and you cannot totally eliminate any species," Salahuddin reasoned.

The university VC agreed to the options and solutions suggested by the NGO and issued directions to the administration to immediately call off the campaign.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 11^th, 2015.

COMMENTS (2)

Ali | 8 years ago | Reply But that happens all over the world, do you know how they prepare lobsters/crabs?

emkay | 8 years ago | Reply Thank you SO much to the Karachi University VC for recognizing the hazards to the environment of this practice and the brutality of its nature. I love the work PAWS does in Karachi, I wish they'd create a centre in Lahore. I'm so grateful for the activists for proposing their ideas in a formal manner, I really hope the University follows through with the proposals set by PAWS and starts a trend in Pakistan. It's not nice to kill stray dogs (unless they are rabid) but to vaccinate, neuter and adopt them. We should encourage people to adopt stray animals and care for them, rather than buying specific breeds. We should preserve the Wildlife in Pakistan, it's really suffered at the hands of terrorism in the Northern Areas along with the people, and we should ensure a safe environment for the people AND other living creatures. This country is beautiful, this is the kind of treatment it deserves, not murder and killing.

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