Child dies in Karachi after consuming toxic sweets meant to kill stray dogs

KARACHI: A two-year-old child died in the Pakistani port city of Karachi after eating toxic sweets meant to kill stray dogs, police officials confirmed on Tuesday.
The periodic culling of dogs by shooting or using poison tablets hidden in food is common in Pakistan and has unnerved both animal rights activists and citizens, but officials in Sindh province, of which Karachi is the capital, say it is necessary because packs of wild strays pose a threat to residents.
Authorities say rabies is endemic in Pakistan, with human infections mostly caused due to dog bites. The World Health Organization estimates that about 500 to 5,000 people die of the virus in Pakistan annually.
The Comprehensive Disaster Response Services Benji Project Animal Sanctuary in Islamabad estimates there are at least three million stray dogs in Pakistan, with upwards of 50,000 culled each year.
“A KMC [Karachi Metropolitan Cooperation] employee who is tasked to kill stray animals was carrying these toxic sweets in the side pocket of his motorcycle,” Safdar Mashwani, station house officer at the Awami police station, told Arab News, identifying the child as Moon Waqas. “That is where the children took them from and consumed them, resulting in death.”
Five other children from the same family were also admitted in hospital after consuming the sweets, though their condition had stabilized after treatment, Mashwani added.
Speaking to Arab News, Senior Superintendent Police Shah Jahan said the KMC employee had been arrested and a case would be lodged against him for negligence.
A KMC spokesperson did not respond to queries about the drive against stray animals and any possible disciplinary action against the employee.
Animal rights activists in Pakistan have long been calling for using humane methods such as neutering and vaccinating to manage thousands of free-roaming dogs in the country. 
Journalist and animal rights advocate Quatrina Hosain said she was “devastated” to hear about the child’s death. 
“Local authorities are mindlessly poisoning stray animals and now this has taken the life of an innocent child,” the activist said. “Killing stray animals is not a solution … It disturbs the already fragile urban ecosystem.”
Hosain said the government should initiate a professional trap, neuter, vaccinate and release (TNVR) program.
“There are many organizations like Rabies Free Pakistan and CDRS Benji Project that are working on TNVR,” Hosain said. “They have also been seeking cooperation from the government, but to little avail.”