The illegal culling of street dogs in Lahore has been challenged in court once again. The case has been filed in the Lahore High Court, reigniting the battle against this cruel practice.
The case, filed by Eiraj Hassan and five other petitioners, seeks to enforce the Punjab Animal Birth Control Policy of 2021 and hold responsible government bodies accountable for their alleged violations.
The case, bearing the number CM/2/17741/25, was scheduled for hearing today March 21, 2025, at 9:00 AM in the single bench of Justice Hassan Nawaz Makhdoom. The case has now been transferred to Justice Shahid Karim for an urgent hearing seeking interim relief at LHC to be heard on 25 March 2025.
The petition urges that despite the implementation of the 2021 policy, which prioritizes humane population control methods such as sterilization and vaccination, indiscriminate and illegal culling of street dogs continues throughout the city. The case specifically targets several government entities for their alleged involvement or negligence towards these inhumane acts.
These government entities include:
The legal challenge comes after relentless protests and public outcry against the culling, which animal rights activists and concerned citizens deem both cruel and ineffective. They argue that the practice not only violates the existing policy but also poses a public health risk and damages the city’s reputation.
Altamush Saeed, the Founding Managing Partner of Environmental and Animal Rights Consultants Pakistan—the country’s first dedicated Animal & Environmental Law Firm and Think Tank—is representing the petitioners pro bono. Saeed aims to demonstrate the illegality of the culling and push for the strict enforcement of the 2021 policy.
At a recent press conference, Saeed also spoke up against the widespread misreporting and misinterpretation of two historic judgments:
Both judgments categorically prohibit the culling of stray dogs, reinforcing that the only lawful method of population control is mass sterilization and vaccination in accordance with the Punjab Animal Birth Control Policy 2021.
Altamush Saeed emphasized that:
Shooting, poisoning, or killing stray dogs is illegal. Authorities continuing these actions are in contempt of court, and legal proceedings will be initiated against them.
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