COVER STORY
While there are some people who choose to turn a blind eye to the suffering of the animals around them, there are fortunately many others who decide to take action and help the furry, feathered, and scaled creatures in need. Kiran Maheen is a shining example of the latter. We asked Kiran to tell us about her organization, Todd’s Welfare Society (TWS), and the experience of rescuing Lahore’s strays...
Us: What inspired the creation of TWS?
Kiran Maheen: Animal rights and environmental sustainability has always been my passion. Even as a young child I would rescue kittens and puppies off the road and bring them up, but then you get sucked into the rat race of perfect grades and all interests are forgotten. Seven years ago, I had to go through something traumatic to remind me of the person I once was. My three year old, Todd, walked out of the house for five minutes, and he never came back. That incident changed how I looked at animals. We are not their owners, but their families. Somebody just took a member of my family away from me and nobody cared, not my friends (save a few), or the police or the guards and general community. Suddenly I was looking at the animal world with a new sight. I saw the animals suffering on the roads, and in zoos because we the “human animals” don’t consider their lives important enough.
The second event which led to the creation of TWS was around two years ago when I received a frantic call from my friend, Umer Rajpoot. Model Town security had shot a stray dog near his house; she had been shot twice in the face with a double barrel gun and bullets had pierced through her eyes blinding her. He did not have any transport at the moment to take her to the vet, and according to civilians nearby she was shot at around 6-7 a.m, which meant she had been suffering from the last few hours. I got in contact with another animals rights activist and she rushed to the scene. They rushed to the nearest clinic where the dog was humanely put down. We named her Joanne as nobody should die nameless, and buried her in a plot nearby.
That was the day I realized that mere talks were not helping. We needed to do something practically to end this suffering. This is how on March 6th, TWS was formed to protect and fight for animal rights.
Us: Tell Us about your journey with TWS so far.
Kiran: The last two years have been absolutely incredible. We have laughed, cried, and screamed but once you look at a scared dog finally trusting you and coming forward for a cuddle, a sick cat who didn’t have a single hair on his/her body get better and find a loving home, it’s all worth it.
We have rescued over 300 animals, including dogs, cats, donkeys, rabbits, and birds. We have spayed and neutered almost 90 percent of our rescues, which is an important objective. We have also conducted awareness seminars in schools and universities, in which we taught students about basic animal rights and what they can do to help reduce animal cruelty, organized volunteer programs with different schools - including City School, LGSi, and TNS - through which the students volunteered at the shelter.
We’re currently building an animal shelter in Lahore, which will be operational by mid-summer.
Us: What obstacles or criticisms have you had to face?
Kiran: Surprisingly, raising funds has never been a challenge. We have met such kind, compassionate, and generous people over the last two years. Overall Pakistan is a very charitable nation; we always heard this but now we have also experienced it.
Finding adoptions, however, is a big problem. Everyone wants to comment on a local kitten’s/puppy’s picture and tell you how cute they are but nobody wants to take them home. However, if he/she is a breed, our inbox is flooded with requests for adoptions.
The basic culture of our country has also been quite a challenge frankly. The belief that dogs are unclean and dangerous is ingrained in our society. Emma, a pregnant dog we rescued - who was also our first rescue - was an incredibly happy and loving dog. The kids in the streets had been feeding and looking after her for months. However, people in the area felt that her presence in the street was keeping the angels away. They truly believed that she was bringing germs and gandagi to the area, for which they wanted to poison her. I shudder to think what would have happened had we not rescued her.
Another thing which I have been noticing a lot is that as a society we do not value the life of an animal. The fact that one ran over a dog or a cat isn’t something to feel sad about. It is treated as one of those “oh” situations that are forgotten within seconds. We as Pakistanis have become so self-absorbed that we do not believe that another living being can feel, think, and feel pain. The classic line “help humans, not animals; the animals’ life is not important” has been said to me more times than I can count.
To overcome all of these challenges, I personally believe that there is only one way: to educate and teach the youth regarding animal rights.
Us: What’s been the government’s response to the killing of stray animals in Lahore?
Kiran: We have tried to contact the government several times. The response has always been lukewarm. However, the last time we contacted them was a few months back when one of our members managed to contact someone senior in the Punjab Government. Sadly, we were told that they do not want to even look at the proposal, and that they will keep shooting the dogs as they are a threat and are “impure”.
Us: What do you think is the best course of action for stray management?
Kiran: Perhaps the only way is TNVR - Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate, and Return. You neuter or spay the dog, so that they cannot breed anymore; you vaccinate them, to control rabies; then you tag them and put them back on the street. This is literally the only way.
Dog culling has never been and will never be appropriate. You kill 2000 dogs from the 3000 that exist; in another year those 1000 left will have given birth to several more dogs. For example, the 1000 are evenly distributed in pairs. This means 20 puppies per pair, per year. That’s 10,000 dogs more in just one year. Even if 40% die of natural causes, you still have 6000 more dogs. But if you implement TNR, and spay 70% of the population, within 5 to 6 years, the population will decrease by 50 to 60%.
Also, we need to build a culture where local breeds are promoted rather than fluffy foreign breeds. A stray local dog will love you the same as a foreign dog.
Lastly, we need laws. Laws to protect animal rights for offenders who repeatedly abuse and neglect animals. Unless the government makes it a criminal act to harm animals, the abuse will never stop. Some new laws were passed the last few months, but the government itself doesn’t follow them.
Us: Why do you think the plight of animals does not get the attention it deserves in this country?
Kiran: I often get to hear that in a country, which is suffering from poverty, unemployment and hunger, animals rights is not what one should focus on. But let me ask you, of the 1000 NGOs that exist, how many do you see working for animals? Probably one or two of them? If those NGOs stop, who is going to look at forgotten souls? I am not saying humans are not suffering. However, that does not mean that we turn a blind eye to the constant, widespread, intense abuse animals suffer in our country.
Sadly, our constant denial of animal abuse affects us and people around us as well. Studies show that psychopaths, convicted serial killers, and rapists are very likely to have abused animals. Their lack of remorse, compassion and empathy makes animals an easy target for them. However, as they grow up they start losing interest in animals and start targeting humans. There is a very high link between animal abuse and domestic violence.
Us: What can the average person do to help animals in Pakistan?
Kiran: We can all take simple steps to decrease animal abuse and help animals in our society. Of course not everyone has to be an animal rescuer or has to adopt an animal, but we can also help them by making their life easier.
Start by leaving out food and water outside your homes or on your roofs. Pakistan faces some of the worst summers and we literally see birds falling down from dehydration. You can help injured and sick animals by just taking them to the vet, or calling your local NGO or vet for help. If you see someone hurting an animal, stop them right there! Tell kids not to throw stones and donkey cart owners not to beat their donkeys or starve them.
If you already have a pet, you can spay and neuter them; a lot of puppies die from disease, accidents, are tortured or end up homeless. You can say no to places which abuse animals, places like your local zoo, circuses, weddings with caged, scared pigeons in small cages - stop visiting them and tell them what they are doing is wrong. Animals have lived here for far longer than any of us; they have more right to this land then we do.
And if you can donate to a shelter like ours, that will go a long way in helping the animals we rescue. We take food, litter, bedding, and other items as well as donations. Every little bit helps.
