Written by: Mehr Jan
Posted on: September 02, 2021 | 
| 中文
Kamila Aazeen (L) and Arshiya Husain (R)
Promoting animal welfare is a cause that deserves attention in Pakistan. While several countries have campaigns and programmes which emphasize the need to incorporate animal welfare standards into the country's law and policy, this has yet to be done in Pakistan.
It should be recognized that animals suffer the same way as humans do. Globally, anti-cruelty laws are implemented, which stipulate that animals should be provided with basic necessities like food, water and shelter. Unfortunately, this is not the case in Pakistan. WWF declared that Pakistan is home to more than 177 mammal and 660 bird species, making it one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world. Unfortunately, conservation and rehabilitation efforts are few and far between.
The Pawprint Pakistan
However there is still a silver lining. Many independent campaigns and initiatives have sprung up, striving to make whatever difference they can. One such organization is 'The Pawprint' situated in Islamabad. It is a student-run animal adoption and rescue service founded by two high-school going sisters: Kamila Aazeen, 18 years old, and Arshiya Husain, 17 years old. Since its inception in August 2020, it has successfully rescued, relocated, and rehabilitated over 400 animals, a majority of which are stray and abandoned animals. The teenage girls work to rescue injured and abandoned animals and raise funds for their medical treatment.
The sisters feeding stray animals
Across the country, thousands of pet animals have been left for dead and have either been caged in pet shops without food, water, fresh air or simply abandoned. This statistic highlights just how dire the situation of animal welfare is in Pakistan. Amidst the first peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, these two ambitious girls began to bring stray puppies and kittens into their home. They simultaneously made efforts to convince various friends and family members to adopt them too. These efforts soon accelerated, and the sisters realized that their passion and commitment can be channeled towards a larger initiative. This led to the creation of feeding routes in their neighborhood, providing food to any and all stray animals in the vicinity.
Kamila said, "We began rescuing litters of kittens and puppies that were abandoned. We were bringing them to our farm in Chak Shahzad. This was followed by medical checkups and treatments (if needed), and finally after keeping them at home with us for some time, we aimed to get them adopted into loving homes. Soon enough, this resulted in the culmination of the organization now recognized as The Pawprint." The Pawprint now has a strong membership within the Islamabad community, as well as with volunteers from Karachi, Lahore and Multan. The outreach has made the work a lot more efficient, and enables placing many more innocent animals into loving homes.
(L to R) Kamila Aazeen and Arshiya Husain being interviewed at a talk show
The project is a self-financed and a non-profit programme, which counts on communal support. As Arshiya said, "Our achievements are contingent on participation from individuals and communities. The more people we make our work accessible to, the larger the pool of potential adopters, and thus, the smaller the number of starving animals on the streets. If you want a pet or know someone who does, or know someone who knows someone who does, then you can help us. If you can talk about the value of animal welfare to the country, to the city, to a community, to a friend - you can do more for us than you know. Keeping the conversation going and increasing the radius where this conversation spreads is invaluable."
A puppy rescued by the organization
Being a self-financed project, the impact may be limited, but donations can provide a boost to the organization’s goals. While the initial goal was to get as many of these young neglected animals off the streets, The Pawprint now aims to do more. Aside from creating awareness on animal rights and welfare in Pakistan, the organization ultimately aims to promote these conversations on a national level.
"These creatures are an essential part of our biodiversity, and recognizing their roles in our community is ethically important. Caring for them reinforces the ideals of empathy and selflessness, which we could always do more of in our society", Kamila emphasized.
Some of the animals rescued by The Pawprint
Concluding by appealing to the better side of humans, Arshiya said, " While acknowledging that human beings are inherently self-interested, as supported by evolution, yet many of us continue to be remarkably selfless, and it is this trait in particular that we value so much. It is this characteristic which will enable us to leave the planet a better place for the future generations, whom we hope to help teach about the integral existence of all species. Coexisting with them is the only way we ourselves can be allowed to thrive, and in the process, we help so many other innocent souls thrive as well. Simply put, The Pawprint will have achieved its purpose when there comes a time when it is not needed anymore. Until then, we continue."
To know more about this adoption & rescue organization, and how you can contribute, visit their Instagram handle @pawprintpakistan.
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