We wish to individually thank everyone who made it possible:

Shandana Minhas
Nimra Bucha
Joshindar Chaggar
Sunil Shanker
Ali Hayat
Imran Yusuf
Zoe and Rachel Viccaji
Sami Shah
Sabeen Mahmud, Zaheer Kidvai and everyone at T2F
Najaf Bilgrami and Rashid
Ayessha Quraishi and Adil Sartaj
Omar Hussain

“Why waste time on animal rights when humans don’t get their rights here?” is the usual response to the idea of animal welfare or animal rights in Pakistan. Meanwhile, animal lovers and activists strive to change the mindset that makes both these issues mutually exclusive.

More here.

KARACHI: The Karachi zoo will be cleaned and renovated after this Ashura, announced Shaukat Zaman, a health director, on Saturday. He had gone to inspect the zoo, along with the zoo’s director, Mazhar Khan, on the directives of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation Administrator Muhammad Hussain Syed.

SouthAsia has once again allocated its pages to issues of Animal Rights, with fine articles from two reputable Pakistani writers: Nilofer Ahmed and Anees Jillani. I recall that, for last year’s October issue, also devoted to Animal Rights, many authors of international stature were invited to contribute their articles, which they very graciously did. Contributions from high profile names like Maneka Gandhi, Ingrid Newkirk, Tom Regan, and Peter Singer indeed raised public awareness, and laid the foundation for future work.

More here.

Cruelty to animals is strongly condemned in the Qur’an and the Hadith of the Prophet and punishments are provided for it. Most of the Sahih Hadith collections have Abdullah Ibn Umar’s report, “The Prophet cursed the one who treated animals harshly.”  Al-‘Asqalani specified that “The cursing indicates that the action is prohibited. Whoever treats harshly a living being and then does not repent, God will treat him just as harshly on judgment day.” Abdullah Ibn Umar reported that the Prophet said: “A woman went to hell because of a cat that she confined and did not feed or allow to feed.”

More here.

After the devastating floods of 2010, a non-profit organisation wants Pakistanis to think a little differently for Eid-ul-Azha this year. PAWS, the Pakistan Animal Welfare Society, is asking citizens to think about saving animals instead of sacrificing them. The volunteer-run group says that because so many families have lost their cattle and livestock in the floods, what those families need most is not meat for a meal, but livestock to help them generate income and rebuild their lives.

More here.

“It is neither their flesh nor their blood that reaches Allah; it is your piety that reaches Him.” (Qur’an 22:37)

In July and August, the Pakistan floods wiped out 1.2 million large and small animals in Pakistan and left those that survived in poor condition with limited access to food.

For Eid-ul-Azha sacrifice this year, join PAWS and help restore the lives and livelihood of people affected by the floods. Buy a goat – and this year, instead of sacrificing it, send it back to a village to replace what was lost and help people back onto their feet. Goats can provide an ongoing income for families through the sale of milk, ghee, meat and kids, as well as supplement their own diet and agriculture.

Your donation of 12,000 PKR will buy a healthy, local goat and will deliver that goat to a flood refugee in Sindh. This cost includes: purchase of the goat and its delivery to the flood affected family, initial veterinary examination including vaccination and drenching, and high quality fodder for two months (as fodder is not easily available in the areas to where the families are returning).

Send your cheques to: Pakistan Animal Welfare Society
Mailing Address: Office No. 8, Hamilton Court, Complex G-1, Main Clifton Road, Karachi 6, Pakistan. (Please provide a return address and contact number for the receipt of your payment to be sent to you.)

FAQs
Why not just donate the meat from my sacrifice to a family instead?
A living goat is worth more to a family than the meat from a dead one – it is an ongoing source of income to that family. Also, the logistics of getting meat from its source to people in need means that a lot of meat goes wasted every year.

Where will you buy the goats from?
The goats will be sourced from locals who sell goats every year for sacrifice. The idea is that these sellers shouldn’t lose the annual income they depend on from goat sales, but that the goats purchased will be given to a local family rather than sacrificed. Furthermore, by buying directly from a poor family, the family can benefit from the best value for its goat.

How can I be sure that my goat goes to a family in need?
PAWS is partnering with local NGOs with a proven track record to ensure that every goat donated goes to a deserving family that has been displaced by the floods. You can follow up on your donation by contacting PAWS at the contact details provided below.

Why don’t I just donate money instead of donating a goat?
By donating a goat, you’re ensuring local goat sellers their annual income, and you’re also giving a long-term gift to a family. That family will be able to use the milk and fertilizer produced by the goat and its offspring to help support themselves for years to come.

Doesn’t the Qur’an say that an animal must be sacrificed?
Some people feel strongly that animals should be sacrificed for Eid-ul-Azha. Even if you only donate one of the animals that you would normally offer for sacrifice to a family, you would be making a big contribution to that family’s life.

Note: For logistical reasons, PAWS is only able to provide goats as gifts in place of slaughter. Please don’t let this discourage you from opting for a ‘life-giving sacrifice’ of another animal this year, on your own.

For further information:
info@pawspakistan.org
+92 302 829 3882 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              +92 302 829 3882      end_of_the_skype_highlighting
www.pawspakistan.org

Just how important livestock is to the rural population can be gauged by the fact that many of the interior’s flood affectees spent their entire lives’ earnings on transporting them to safe ground along with their families when the waters surged.

More here.