As Pakistani citizens we have discussed it all; arranged marriages, inequality, absence of justice, poverty and violence. One aspect of our society that is neglected to a large extent is the issue of negligence and abuse toward animals. In a country where 60 million people are facing starvation and lack food resources, it is hard for activists and charitable organizations to focus on the issue of animals.
We drive around the city with full frontal views of the most horrific and unimaginable amounts of weight being pushed onto donkeys that look more emaciated than a starved child in Somalia. The sun blazes over these poor creatures, their mouths open and heaving, a scrawny, poverty struck man lashing away at their deteriorating hides, leading to fresher wounds and bleeding scars. If this is how these animals are injured in broad daylight, within public spaces, what treatment do they receive in the privacy of the homes of their masters? Take a look at zoo photography captured by Pakistan’s very own Amean J. Your heart will break at the turn of every page displaying poorly treated animals in claustrophobic and restricted spaces that would otherwise live gloriously in their natural habitat.
Feudal families are blamed for holding onto outdated practices of hunting over-populated birds such as the rather small and delicate, quail. Fathers and sons take pride in donning the hunting hat and sweeping forests in rural areas with their guns and ammunition killing a large variety of ducks, deer, rabbits and the much-hated hog. I understand that hunting and gathering is the primal instinct of man, but with feasts being prepared three times a day by hired help, is it really necessary to continue this barbaric practice especially when animals being hunted are not a need but a mere sport? You’ll be surprised to know that it is not only feudal and tribal families that take part in this cruel game but several progressive, educated and modern minded businessmen, industrialists, factory owners, bankers and not surprisingly, their male spawn take equal part in contributing to this problem. Every time my friends post pictures on Facebook posing with guns and knives behind large piles of their kill, I am angered, but then again, I was the kid that cried when our goats were sacrificed for Eid.
Granted there are families that take care of their pets, breeding and maintaining magnificent dogs such as the German Shepherd and Doberman but tragically some of these families also indulge in dog fighting and making money off of their own pets. These dogs are often left with blistering wounds, deathly bite marks and irreparable damage that can be seen in several Youtube clips propping up from Pakistani breeders.
The urban streets are laden with pregnant dogs and cats, scavenging for food and shelter. At times a feline mother can be seen carrying her litter one by one to the side of a dusty road, hoping with all her might that no prankster or hard hearted pedestrian comes upon her family and kills them all.
The worst sight to behold is when cars run over animals on the streets and drive away without moving the carcasses to the side. At times these animals lie in the middle of the roads, their blood splattering everywhere as cars driven by deranged people keep speeding over them until they are nothing but a mere dark stain on the ground.
On my last visit to Karachi my family and I were driving around the Shara-e-Faisal when we stumbled upon a group of barefoot boys, who had tied the tale of a sickly looking cat to a rope, dragging her across the hard, concrete roads, laughing and giggling away as if they were indulging in innocent play. We instantly stopped the car near them and ran to save the cat, but it was too late. Her insides were bleeding out onto the ground and the boys scurried away to avoid being reprimanded.
My family finally took matters into their own hands. While they couldn’t eliminate the problem completely, my mother began to take in all the neighborhoods cats and their litters. We now house over 35 cats; feeding them daily and ensuring they are nurtured in a safe and loving environment. Every few weeks, when a cat is run over on the streets outside of our house, my mother rushes to it’s care, nursing it back to health welcoming it to our growing family of pets. It does not take immense effort to leave milk and meat out for animals in your neighborhood that play a huge part in eliminating rats and mice from taking over your splendid, magnificent gardens.
Pakistani eco systems are home to a variety of beautiful species that are gradually being endangered and nearing extinction; the Indus dolphins, blue whale and snow leopard being a prime example. While there are hard working organizations such as WWF and IUCN working against poaching, hunting and habitat pollution, it is up to us to aid them in reaching their goals. Control your litter when you visit the beaches, so that turtles and birds do not suffer because of your carelessness. If you see road kill, be the bigger person and try and remove it from the center of the road because no one else will. By seeing your actions others will follow suit and your children will grow up to be more sensitive to the needs of the Earth. We can join hands, pool in our resources and make shelters, educate the poor and even teach farmers and workers to treat their cattle with love and respect. After all, in a society like Pakistan, where we heavily rely on animal labour from the agricultural sectors all the way to distribution in the cities, it is only fair to provide all species with an environment that will sustain them for years to come. I leave you with a thought-provoking quote by animal activist Jeremy Benthen:
The question is not, “Can they reason?” nor, “Can they talk?” but rather, “Can they suffer?”
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