By Dr. Sohail Ansari
Consulting Physician

There recently have been disturbing news of camel having legs amputated, donkey’s ears chopped off, death of a donkey who succumbed to injuries caused by torture and a dog thrown from a high-rise building. Last year negligence of animals in our zoos, and death of Noor Jehan, an elephant, had circulated in the media. In 2004 the City Government of Karachi ordered to kill the stray dogs by using different means, such as poisoning and shooting. A mass culling drive was carried out by a municipal department in Karachi last year. Such barbaric acts do not reflect well on any civilised society. Quran and Hadith guides us in our behavior to animals; human beings are allowed to use them, but only if their rights are respected. ‘All creatures on earth are sentient beings. There is not an animal on earth, nor a bird that flies on its wings — but they are communities like you’ (Quran 6:38). ‘And the earth, He has assigned it to all living creatures’ (Quran 55:10). One Hadith quotes Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as saying: ‘A good deed done to an animal is as meritorious as a good deed done to a human being, while an act of cruelty to an animal is as bad as an act of cruelty to a human being.’

Rewind back, it takes one to the past when awareness of animal rights was being raised in Karachi, pioneering the way in India. Richmond Crawford who was the Collector had a reputation for his fondness for the welfare of animals. He dedicated two acres of land for the construction of a veterinary hospital in 1840’s which was named after him. It is now one of the oldest veterinary hospitals in Pakistan. Richmond Crawford’s idea gained momentum in 1878, a group of like-minded people started looking into it. On 18th May 1880, that group of revered noble citizens of Karachi including Sir William Lee Warner, Khan Bahadur Hassanally Effendi, Lagget Price, Sayed Hassan Mediru, Max Denso and Framroze Punthakey founded Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) at Frere Hall Garden. Framroze Punthakey was chosen the honorary secretary. It was modelled after the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in the UK. The society not only raised awareness but also helped enforcing laws for the protection of animal rights in the city. It championed the cause. There were inspectors who patrolled the city and the owners found guilty of animal abuse were fined. For the welfare of animals to quench their thirst, water troughs were built across the city on the busiest thoroughfares, from Guru Mandir to Tower. Most were built under the shades of big old trees. Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act was passed in India in March 1890 which still forms the backbone of current law. The act was periodically amended in 1917, 1923, and 1938 to keep it up to date.

Following independence, the West Pakistan Prevention of Cruelty to Animal Rules were enacted in July 1961. Fast forward: In Karachi, up to the eighties, the SPCA was led by Lady Nanette Constantine, a Swiss resident of Bath Island, as the society’s president. There were limited funds and manpower, but her determination was strong with untiring efforts to work for the cause of animal welfare. The activities included operations of an animal shelter with a capacity of 150 animals in Gulshan Iqbal, fighting a lawsuit for saving Richmond Crawford Veterinary Hospital (RCVH) from being bull dozed into a shopping mall and running a hotline for reporting of abuse within the city. She was threatened for defending RCVH, her house was ransacked and even her car was hit by a truck. Following her death arose a break in this century-old tradition of service to animals in the city. The SPCA shelter land was taken away by the government and the special animal court at the Sindh High Court wound up. Around sixty years ago, SPCA was concerned with encroachments especially by washermen on city’s water troughs constructed for animals. The society put out a request in the newspapers on 24th October 1966, seeking persons who could guard water troughs for animals against such infringements. It offered a nominal payment to the guards along with permission to open small shops in the space near the troughs. In the times of political turmoil such as curfews of 1969, SPCA provided animal hostel service to owners who found it difficult to provide food and veterinary services. A small number of NGOs are now helping out with the cause. A more contemporary initiative for the welfare of animals was taken by filmmakers Maheen Zia and Mahera Omar in 2004 when they founded Pakistan Animal Welfare Society. They may not have much infrastructure but rely on volunteers to rescue injured animals and coordinate with private veterinary clinics for the treatment. Ayesha Chundrigar Foundation rescues, shelters and rehabilitates injured animals. It uses social media to bring such incidents to light. There is a shelter that is functioning on the Karachi – Hyderabad Super Highway under the supervision of Edhi Foundation. This shelter is home to several cats, dogs, donkeys, crows and kites.
Most people in Karachi would have witnessed maltreatment of the animals, and yet ignored it. Such cruelty is a behavioral disorder. The state of pet shops, chicken in cages or animals waiting to be slaughtered and overloaded animals is a daily observance. There is a need to continue raising public awareness to change attitudes, as well for the authorities to enact laws, regulations and enforcement of those with fining the culprits.