In yet another historic legal development, Pakistani animal rights lawyer Altamush Saeed along with his team have argued for a contempt petition against municipal and local government in Faisalabad and Jhang for violating a recent stay order prohibiting dog culling.
The development came into being on January 11, 2024, and it marks the first contempt case in Pakistan’s history regarding dog-culling violations. EARC’s Founding Managing Partner and legal counsel Ahmad Shoaib Atta presented arguments highlighting the municipalities’ defiance of a January 1, 2025 stay order that mandated mass sterilization and vaccination programs under the Punjab Animal Birth Control Policy of 2021.
This case could set a significant precedent for enforcing animal protection orders across Pakistan. The petition represents the fourth in a series of legal actions aimed at permanently ending the practice of dog culling in the country.
“Without sterilization and vaccination, no humans will ever be safe in society,” stated Saeed. He added:
Rabies and dog bites will remain an inevitable threat and we would keep on wasting millions of rupees to treat the never ending rabies disaster in Pakistan.
The legal initiative has received support from several organizations, including Comprehensive Disaster Response Services (CDRS), Todd’s Welfare Society, and Hajra Majeed Foundation, which provided administrative and financial backing.
This case represents a crucial step toward aligning Pakistan’s street dog management practices with global standards, aiming to ensure the safety of both human residents and street dogs. The court’s decision could influence similar cases nationwide and establish stronger enforcement mechanisms for animal protection orders.
The hearing date for the contempt petition is pending, with animal rights advocates closely monitoring this landmark case that could reshape Pakistan’s approach to street dog population management.
Please take all dogs to your homes, we cannot go out for walks or even shop freely in markets if Islamabad as the dog gangs are roaming around…. We need a solution to this problem
Same happens in Lahore as well.