ISLAMABAD: Two pet dogs that had attacked and mauled a lawyer last month in an incident that sparked a nationwide debate about animal rights and the responsibility of pet owners have been euthanized in Karachi, Pakistani media reported on Tuesday, quoting police.
Mirza Akhter Ali, a senior lawyer, was taking a morning walk on June 16 when he was attacked by two dogs owned by another resident. The CCTV footage of the incident was widely circulated on social media platforms.
While the lawyer initially refused to forgive the owner of the two dogs and filed a police case against him, a compromise was finally reached between the two parties.
“The dogs were euthanized in accordance with a compromise reached between the two parties, the owner Humayun Khan and the victim of the attack,” Geo News reported, quoted police. “Police confirmed that the dogs were euthnized at a veterinary clinic. The owner of the dogs informed police about it.”
The conditions of the agreement included an unconditional apology to the victim and a promise from Khan that he and his family would no longer keep any “dangerous” pets at their home.
“Any other dogs kept as pets shall be registered with the Clifton Cantonment Board and shall not venture out on the streets without a properly trained handler and shall be muzzled and leashed at all times they are outside,” Geo News reported. “The two dogs involved in the incident shall be euthanized/put down by a veterinarian immediately. Any other such dogs that Humayun Khan has, he shall give them away.”
After the biting incident, the Clifton Cantonment Board said it would enforce rules to register dogs.
“It is mandatory as per Section 119 of the Cantonments Act, 1924 (as amended up to date), to get pet dogs duly registered with Cantonments Boards,” a public notification, available with Arab News, said. “Owing to non-registration, it becomes impossible for the Board to confirm as to whether the dogs have been muzzled and are disease free or not.”
Keeping unregistered dogs was illegal, according to the notice. The registration process includes “the completion of all formalities which includes, but are not limited to, issuance/wearing of metal token, vaccination of dogs against rabies and keeping the dogs muzzled in public.”
Dr. Naseem Salahuddin, head of the Rabies Free Pakistan (RFP), told Arab News the registration process for pet dogs was a good initiative, though she added that the way public anger was directed toward dogs after such instances was wrong.
“All anger is directed toward the animal when a dog bite case takes place,” she said, adding that culling them was not a remedy.
“This is a good initiative by the Cantonment Board Clifton. All pet animals should be registered and properly collared with details of identity and status of vaccination,” she told Arab News.
Salahuddin also insisted that there should be a ban on the import of aggressive dogs, noting that there was no legislation in this regard.
“Dogs never become aggressive if humans treat them with kindness and gentleness,” she added.
