A shocking revelation from Lahore's Mayo Hospital has ignited widespread public concern across Pakistan, exposing a severe and growing threat to public safety.
A Disturbing National Trend
The core of the crisis is a single, staggering statistic: Mayo Hospital in Lahore alone treated 1,796 victims of dog bites in just 14 months. This is not an isolated incident but a symptom of a much larger problem plaguing major cities and towns throughout the country. The fundamental failure of municipal authorities to manage the ever-growing population of stray dogs is the primary cause.
What makes this situation particularly alarming is that it persists despite aggressive and ongoing culling campaigns. City and provincial governments are not standing idly by; they are actively killing over 50,000 dogs every year in an attempt to control the numbers. However, this brutal method is proving to be completely ineffective.
The Failure of Current Policies
In Punjab, the situation is compounded by a contradictory legal framework. While the provincial government's Animal Birth Control policy has legally restricted the culling of dogs, the authorities have failed miserably in enforcing the policy's crucial companion: a mass sterilisation program. This enforcement failure has led directly to a worsening scenario for residents.
However, simply lifting the ban on culling is not the answer. The evidence clearly shows that culling is an ineffective solution. The practice has had a negligible impact on the number of dog bite cases reported. The stray dog population is so vast that any dogs removed are quickly replaced. This rapid repopulation is driven by two key factors:
- Inadequate sterilisation efforts that fail to curb breeding.
- Massive, improperly disposed of food waste that acts as a powerful magnet, attracting strays and providing a ready food source.
A Sustainable Path Forward
Health authorities nationwide should urgently adopt the World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed Catch-Neuter-Vaccinate-Release (CNVR) method. This humane and scientific approach has already been successfully piloted in Karachi, where it led to the vaccination and sterilisation of tens of thousands of dogs. The result was a visible and sustained reduction in both rabies outbreaks and the stray dog population over time.
Public awareness and civic responsibility are equally critical. The improper disposal of food waste is a root cause that fuels not only the stray dog crisis but also other public health emergencies by attracting pests like rats, which can spread disease. A multi-pronged strategy is essential for long-term success:
- Implementing and strictly enforcing penalties for improper waste disposal.
- Investing in and improving municipal garbage collection systems.
- Launching public campaigns to discourage the feeding of stray animals in an unmanaged way.
By tackling the problem at its source with proven methods like CNVR and improving urban hygiene, Pakistan can build safer and healthier cities for all.
