Eizza A., the founder of the United Rescue Group that operates in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, tweeted about a gut-wrenching case of illegal dog poisoning in DHA Phase II yesterday.
Speaking exclusively to ProPakistani, she detailed, “Got a report of a dog who was poisoned in DHA Phase II. We had a young girl messaging us and we asked Ammara, one of our volunteers, to reach the area. With timely intervention, we were able to save his life”.
Eizza remarked,
We are disappointed that after Salman Sufi told the Islamabad DC to take animal abuse reports seriously, including the ICT police, none of them have taken even one animal abuse case seriously – people will still keep killing if there are no consequences.
She tweeted, “Poisoning happening by residents in DHA Islamabad. This dog never even hurt a fly.”
Asking the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Police; the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Islamabad, Irfan Nawaz; the Capital Development Authority (CDA); and the Head of the Prime Minister’s Strategic Reforms Unit, Salman Sufi, to take the case seriously, she added,
Please take this case seriously as you all promised and visit DHA to arrest the people who did this — this is barbaric! Make an example.
https://twitter.com/GoddessOfNebula/status/1589640565234470912
A distraught Eizza told this scribe,
We need to hold the government, which said that it will protect them (the dogs) but haven’t done anything to actively protect them, accountable. People are still poisoning them with zero consequences. I don’t see flyers around, etc.
How Sherdil was Rescued
Ammara Saboor rushed to rescue the poisoned dog with food and water. She named him ‘Sherdil’ (Lionheart) and narrated the circumstances of his condition on her Instagram account as follows:
“I saw, him in the middle of road, he couldn’t move, stiff, a lot of water salive [sic] of mouth as u can see in video from reporter @namraashraf . It was not a good sight to see. Many bikes passed by the dog in just few mins of I arrived, one stopped and asked ‘app my gari mari hai (did u hit him)’, he pissed me so off, I shouted at him that I’m here to rescue (jahil log khud tu help karni nahi) [sic].’
Sherdil could just move his eyes. No one even thought to bring him to the side of the road. At least someone could have done it? Anyway, I picked sherdil with help of other men as he was heavy. Rushed him to the closest vet, and he was given treatment right away. As u can see, he had a breathing issue, vet is trying to give him oxygen. He continuously looked at me. I stayed till all necessary treatment was done. He was boarded for night.”
https://twitter.com/GoddessOfNebula/status/1590011273567436800
Sherdil survived the harrowing ordeal and his rescuers are desperately trying to find someone to adopt him because of the lack of shelters and resources. They are fearful that they might have to release him back onto the streets where he may be killed again.
Dog Culling Banned in Islamabad and Punjab
The Head of the Prime Minister’s Strategic Reforms Unit, Salman Sufi, announced on 28 September that dog culling is neither allowed nor authorized in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) and its alternative is neutering. Prior to this, the ICT authorities had banned the culling of dogs in January 2021, and had announced that spay, neuter, and vaccination programs would be adopted instead.
The Government of Punjab had also launched a project to sterilize and vaccinate dogs, and had banned the killing of stray dogs under the same project last year. The then-provincial Chief Secretary, Jawad Rafique Malik, had declared that the cruel killing of any animal is punishable by a fine of Rs. 50,000 and three months of imprisonment.
About Eizza A. and the United Rescue Group
Eizza A. is based in the USA but works remotely against dog culling in the twin cities after she founded the popular United Rescue Group three years ago. She started the group on Twitter and Instagram after reading a tweet about a woman’s dogs that were killed by the CDA Islamabad in 2019.
Explaining the origins of the fledgling initiative back then, she told ProPakistani, “We decided to help an existing rescuer first with her online presence so that we can help with adoption and funds and soon enough I was guiding citizens who messaged our page about vets in the areas near Rawalpindi although I have never visited any of these cities in my life”.
The United Rescue Group has been advocating for the municipal and administrative authorities in the twin cities to stop dog culling and often holds protests outside the Islamabad Press Club.
However, it seems like the authorities are oblivious to the optics of the situation and have utterly failed to protect street animals in the twin cities again despite Salman Sufi’s announcement of ‘landmark’ animal welfare reforms for the ICT in June this year.
All these butchers will face the wrath of creator sooner or later. Aameen
Yeah. Instead of culling these dogs, first, these activists, who are sitting in foreign countries, should be culled. They don’t know what ordinary people have to go through because of these dogs. Dozens of dogs barking for no reason all night? No problem for these privileged fools living in the USA. But here it makes a difference. Thousands of children in Sindh bitten by these dogs? Also not a problem for these deranged psychopaths living in big houses. But the poor man should pay for their elite delusions, according to them.
Ammu lives in Pakistan. She saves animals from hideous humans that do terrible cruel things to them. Get rid of the humans and keep the dogs.