Animal rights groups have accused local authorities of violating court orders and Punjab’s approved TNVR (Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate, and Release) policy by allegedly resuming the killing of stray dogs in Lahore and other parts of the province, according to a report by The Express Tribune.

Representatives from the Give Us Life Animal Welfare Society and the National Alliance of Animal Rights Activists and Advocates Pakistan raised these concerns at a press conference held at the Lahore Press Club. They also alleged that activists speaking against these actions were being harassed. The groups said the Lahore High Court had endorsed the TNVR approach in 2021 as a humane method for controlling the stray dog population through sterilisation and vaccination instead of culling.

Animal rights activist and co-founder Aafia Khan stated that the World Health Organization also supports the TNVR model in countries like Pakistan, where both urban and rural populations are present. She alleged that despite court directives, local authorities have continued dog culling operations in Lahore in recent years. According to her, staff from the Metropolitan Corporation Lahore reportedly capture stray dogs, keep them for a few days, and then transport them near Saggian where they are allegedly killed. She claimed these actions violate court orders and undermine environmental and animal welfare standards.

Advocate Altamash Saeed said the TNVR policy was developed under a Lahore High Court case involving coordination between local government, livestock, and health departments. He alleged that responsible institutions are failing to implement the policy and continuing with dog killings instead. He added that monitoring committees were formed from the chief secretary level down to the tehsil level, but claimed they have not been meeting regularly. He also stressed the need for stronger enforcement of animal protection laws and increased public awareness.

Saeed further suggested that animal rights, environmental protection, and civic responsibility should be included in educational curricula to promote more humane attitudes. Qaiser Sharif, president of the Jamaat-e-Islami Public Aid Committee Lahore, said that culling is not a sustainable solution. He noted that government efforts remain insufficient and called for full-scale implementation of TNVR, along with shelters and a dedicated helpline.

Sharif added that his organization has been working on this issue for the past 10 months and has prepared eight recommendations focused on controlling stray dog populations through sterilisation and preventing attacks. Participant Haider Shah also claimed he accompanied Aafia Khan to the Metropolitan Corporation Lahore office to obtain information about captured dogs. He alleged that officials first said the dogs would be vaccinated and released, but later changed their stance, leading to a dispute that resulted in police being called, according to the report.