Citizen questions stray dog killings; official denies ban, says government is carrying it out
A screenshot of dead dogs dumped in a truck allegedly belonging to the Suthra Punjab programme. — SCREENGRAB
Another alleged incident involving the killing of stray dogs by the Metropolitan Corporation Lahore has surfaced after a new video emerged showing the carcasses of stray dogs being transported near Harbanspura Ring Road.
The video purportedly shows the dead dogs being loaded onto vehicles associated with the Punjab Chief Minister’s Suthra Punjab programme. It also alleges that vehicles assigned to the cleanliness initiative were used to transport the animals.
In the footage, a citizen can be heard questioning an official about a court ban on killing stray dogs. The official allegedly responds that there is “no ban” and that “the government is carrying it out.”
The video has surfaced despite directions issued by the Lahore High Court requiring the Punjab government to implement the Punjab Animal Birth Control (TNVR) Policy 2021. During court proceedings, government officials assured the court that stray dogs would not be culled and would instead be managed under the policy through the Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Release (TNVR) programme. The court also warned that any violation of its orders could lead to contempt of court proceedings.
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The Punjab government introduced the TNVR Policy in 2021 as a humane approach to controlling the stray dog population. Under the policy, stray dogs are to be captured, sterilised, vaccinated against rabies and released back into the same locality.
Animal welfare organisations have repeatedly alleged that stray dogs continue to be killed in Lahore and other parts of Punjab despite the court’s directions and the government’s stated policy. The relevant authorities, however, have denied such allegations on various occasions.
Animal rights activists also claim that incidents of stray dogs being allegedly killed have continued to surface in several private housing societies, raising further concerns over compliance with the court’s orders and the provincial government’s animal control policy.
