azel, a devoted mother dog, was found in immense pain, caring for her newborn puppies under the open sky after being hit by a car. Today, her story has taken a turn for the better. Not only has she received the medical attention she desperately needed, but she and her puppies also enjoy a warm, comfortable environment and nutritious meals and attentive care.

Crown, a beautiful pet cat, faced rejection from her owner after giving birth. She was labelled as ‘dirty’ and abandoned. She and her kittens have now found a nurturing home where their antics bring joy instead of complaints. They are treated like cherished members of a large, loving family, everyone delighting in the kittens’ frolics.

Diego, a once overworked donkey, endured great hardship as a beast of burden. When his body could no longer bear the strain, he was left to die in neglect. He was suffering from deep wounds, sepsis, lameness, severe dehydration, multiple injuries and a skin infections. His life turned around just in time. While Diego is not yet fully recovered, he now receives treatment and care and is enjoying the peace and comfort of a well-earned retirement.

These are just a few of the countless heart-warming stories from the animal shelter run by Tahira Animal Welfare Foundation in Faisalabad. Established in 2020 by Tahira Rasul, a Pakistan-born British citizen, the foundation rescues injured or sick stray animals. It provides them with medical care, shelter, food and a chance to heal in a safe environment.

Tahira Rasul tells The News on Sunday that although she hails from Faisalabad, she has spent most of her life in Scotland. She says the dire of state of suffering animals had troubled her every time she visited Pakistan.

“We saw the terrible condition of dogs; and not just dogs, but all kinds of animals, including cats and donkeys. In some cases, they were nothing but skin and bones, scavenging through garbage dumps for scraps, often finding nothing,” she says.

While she still lived in the UK, Tahira maintained contact with people in Pakistan who helped the animals in need. She introduced them to veterinary doctors, paid for treatment or sent money to ensure proper care for these creatures.

She recalls a turning point during one of her visits to Pakistan. “I came across an injured dog. Its condition was so bad that it could not be saves. The experience deeply affected me. It compelled me to think about doing something permanent for animal welfare here,” she says.

Tahira says she moved back to Pakistan and has been working for animal welfare ever since. “We rescue stray animals injured in road accidents or those suffering from some disease. We treat them. Once they recover, we try to release them back where they can be better cared for. If that’s not possible, we keep them at our shelter for the rest of their lives,” she says.

Running an animal shelter is not easy. Tahira narrates heart-breaking instances of dogs she had released after treatment being poisoned, shot or ending up malnourished again. Now, she says, they only release rescued animals in areas where animal lovers reside. The elderly, the permanently disabled and the chronically ill remain under her care.

“We rescue stray animals injured in road accidents or suffering from some disease. Once they recover, we try to release them where they can be better cared for. If that’s not possible, we keep them at our shelter for the rest of their lives.”

“If an animal dies during treatment, burying them becomes a problem. People don’t allow us to bury them in open spaces,” she says. “Many children and adults pick up stones at the mere sight of a stray dog or cat. They are always looking for an opportunity to harm them.”

Tahira says very few people in Pakistan, including Faisalabad, are willing to adopt rescued animals. Most people who approach her shelter for adoption insist on being given imported dogs or cats.

“Many visitors suggest that we start breeding imported pets at our shelter to generate income,” she says. “But we are not willing to turn this into a business. That goes against the core principle. We want people to adopt stray dogs and cats to address the problems that arise due to their overpopulation. The local-breed pets are just as remarkable as any imported ones,“ she says.

She says many people treat their pets as mere pastime. When extreme weather strikes, they abandon their pets.

“The treatment of working animals like donkeys and horses is even worse,” she says. “People don’t care for their health or nutrition. They are overloaded and unnecessarily beaten. They are branded and struck sticks and rods. When these animals are severely injured or sick due to such inhumane treatment, they are left to die on the streets”, she says.

To address these systemic issues, TAWF runs awareness campaigns in schools to educate children about treating animals with kindness and care.

“Our society desperately needs awareness. Many people don’t understand rabies, vaccination and animal welfare. Many are unaware of the rights Islam grants to animals and the humane treatment our religion advocates for,” she says.

The campaign focuses on children because of their capacity to learn and influence societal change. “Students in Grades 6 and 7 are ideal; they are the foundation of our society. If we can instil awareness in them today, we can have a generation in the coming years that understands animal welfare, rabies prevention and compassionate behaviour,” she says.

The campaign aims to reshape children’s attitudes toward animals. “From an early age, many children are told that animals are dangerous and should be avoided or killed. This ingrains a violent attitude toward animals in the society,” Tahira says.

The goal of the campaign is to replace this violence with empathy and compassion. “We distribute activity books that include puzzles, colouring activities and lessons on how to interact with animals. Children learn to understand an animal’s body language and how to feed them responsibly,” she says.

School students also visit the shelter, where they spend time with the animals and learn firsthand how to treat them with kindness. This experience is a vital part of fostering a culture of respect and care for animals.

According to Tahira Rasul, TAWF has rescued 11,281 animals to date. Besides, they have been running a Rabies-Free Faisalabad campaign for the past four years to prevent dog-bite incidents.

“In this campaign, 7,060 stray dogs have been vaccinated against rabies. More than 5,253 stray dogs have undergone neutering surgeries. Moreover, free medical treatment has been provided to 1,446 pets belonging to underprivileged families,” she says.

“7,060 stray dogs have been vaccinated against rabies and over 5,253 stray dogs have undergone neutering surgeries. Moreover, free medical treatment has been provided to 1,446 pets belonging to underprivileged families.”

During the devastating floods of 2022, TAWF extended its efforts to flood-affected areas, providing free treatment to 6,500 livestock and distributing relief goods and fodder to 1,200 households.

“Currently, our shelter houses more than 300 animals, including 173 dogs, 115 cats and 14 donkeys,” she adds.

Tahira points out that while the Punjab passed the Dog Birth Control Policy over two years ago, it has yet to be implemented in earnest.

“This leads to mass culling of stray dogs whenever a dog bite case is highlighted in media. Such actions are not only inhumane but also harmful to the environment. Through our shelter, we have developed a model to show the government that humane and effective solutions are possible. As a member country of the United Nations, it is our responsibility under Sustainable Development Goals 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 to ensure animal welfare,” she says.

TAWF operates its animal shelter on nearly an acre of land. One section is dedicated to separate enclosures and kennels tailored to the needs of dogs, cats and donkeys. The shelter has an in-house feed mill that prepares 150 to 200 kilograms of dog feed daily. Cat food is imported. Donkeys are provided with fresh green fodder and nutritional supplements.

Another section of the facility, features an OPD, an operating theater, an ICU and ultrasound and X-ray rooms, a laboratory and administrative offices. The open space at the rear of the shelter is fenced and surrounded by trees.

According to Tahira Rasul, her animal shelter has been operating for the past four years on rented premises. She says the landlord has now issued a notice for eviction.

“We are under immense pressure. On one hand, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to cover the day-to-day expenses and, on the other, we face the challenge of building a permanent facility,” she says.

Tahira says that a compassionate animal lover has generously donated an acre of land for a permanent animal shelter. However, due to a lack of funds, the project is stalling.

“We have reached out to several INGOs, corporations and companies and repeatedly appealed for donations on our social media platforms. Yet, we have been unable to raise funds enough to even start constructing a boundary wall around the donated land,” she says.

Tahira says that since the shelter’s inception, she has personally borne most of the expenses. Her children and sister too have helped. “From time to time, we have received funding from certain INGOs and local donors, but there is still no consistent system. The financial instability keeps us under pressure,” she says.

The scale of operations has grown significantly, adding to the challenges. Animals needing rescue, treatment and rehabilitation are brought to the shelter not only from Faisalabad but also from other cities.

“My dream is to extend our work to help stray and injured animals across Pakistan. I urge everyone to support us in making this mission a reality,” she appeals.

The writer has been associated with journalism for the past decade. He tweets @naeemahmad876