Another case of donkey abuse in Pakistan
Rescuers say animal was abandoned by owner in Islamabad’s posh area as it was old and of use no more
Islamabad: An old donkey was rescued and treated by animal rights activists in the posh Sector of Islamabad, F-7 as awareness on the rights of animals is on the rise in society.
Last month, workers of a political party subjected a donkey to severe torture after labelling it as a rival party in Karachi days before election. Though the poor animal was rescued, it succumbed to the injuries within days.
In the latest cast, a resident after observing a stray donkey in front of his house in the Sector F-7 reported to Help Welfare Organisation (HWO) Animal Rescue — a group of volunteers working to rescue stray, abandoned and injured animals.
The animal was old, ailing and one of its leg was injured due to vehicle-hit. While talking to Gulf News, Founder of the HWO, Sunil Jamil yesterday said his team rescued the animal and reported the matter to the police as sometime the owners of animals demand cash in such cases.
The donkey, he said, was seemingly abandoned by its master after it was no more of use.
The area police registered a complaint against the unidentified owner of the animal and allowed them to take it with them to their farm in Shah Allah Ditta for medical treatment and proper care.
The animal he said is being kept, fed and taken care of. Its wounds are healing.
Sunil Jamil noted that there was a rising sense of awareness in the society with regard to protection and rights of animals.
On our complaint two men who shot dead a dog in Bannu on Saturday in an incident of animal abuse over political rivalry were also arrested by local police.
There is animal cruelty prevention law in the country and torturing, abandoning or abusing an animal is a punishable offence, he said, adding that his organisation daily received around 100 calls of such cases of animal abuse.
These calls are about injured cats, dogs, mostly they are either abandoned or tortured/abused or wounded in accident.
When asked what his organisation does in such cases he said HWO has around 100 volunteers who come into action at once after receiving such calls and rescue the animals.
However, he admitted their scope was limited as its operations are Islamabad-specific. “We have farms, rescue places and premises where such malnourished, abandoned and wounded animals are kept and properly treated,” he said.
Apart from cats and dogs we have also rescued and treated donkeys, mules, kites, foxes, jackals, horses and even snakes.
About rising number of animal abuse, he said it was because we are poorly sensitised on the rights of animals. “There is a need to raise awareness of animal rights.”
Jamil said when they went to the Kohsar police station for permission to shift the donkey, they had to first sensitise the officers there, about animal rights.
