Countering the stray dog crisis

in Sindh, Pakistan
This policy brief is directed towards the Sindh Provincial Government of Pakistan to help them formulate an
effective stray dog population management strategy in the province.

28 February 2022

Image Source: Canva free images

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4138427
 Executive Summary
Pakistan is experiencing an unprecedented rise in the stray dog population with cases of dog bites, animal abuse,
and rabies making headlines every other day. It is estimated that there are at least 3 million stray dogs in Pakistan.
Every year, more than 80,500 cases of dog bites are reported across Pakistan, while up to 5,000 people die of
rabies in the country. Among all the provinces, Sindh has the highest number of stray dogs but the province has
failed to come up with a unified policy for countering the stray dog population for years now, causing an
exponential rise in dog bite and rabies cases. This calls for the attention of policymakers to formulate an effective
stray dog population control management strategy in the province.

Around the globe, the most common strategies to control stray dog populations include mass culling, sheltering
and the CNVR (Catch, neuter, vaccinate and release) policy. For years, Pakistan has tried to control the stray dog
population through mass killings but has failed to keep it from rising. This in itself is proof of the policy’s
ineffectiveness along with its inhumane nature. Similarly, the sheltering policy is not culturally or economically
feasible in Pakistan due to the lack of animal shelters and religious beliefs which reduce adoption rates. The only
policy that seems to fit perfectly with the country’s socio-cultural context is the CNVR strategy. The policy has
proven to be cost-effective, sustainable, ethical, and feasible in other Muslim developing countries like Turkey.

It is, therefore, recommended that the Government of Sindh adopt the CNVR policy and issue orders to all local
governments to implement this policy in the province. Following are some recommendations to execute the
CNVR strategy effectively:
1. Making essential legislative changes like banning dog culling.
2. Placing local municipal authorities at the heart of CNVR implementation.
3. Enhancing collaboration between various stakeholders like NGOs, local shelters and clinics.
4. Devising effective monitoring and implementation mechanisms.

Image Source: Canva free images

Image Source: Tribune, 2020

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4138427 1

Stray dog crisis in Sindh: A major issue of
concern
Globally, there are around 700 million dogs out of Out of all provinces, Sindh has the worst state of
which 75% are classified as strays or free-roaming rabies and dog-bite cases in the country. According
dogs (Smith et al., 2019). Stray dogs pose high health, to one estimate, there are around 1.8 million dogs
welfare and environmental risks. It is estimated that in Sindh (ARY, 2021). Over the years, the number
stray dogs can transmit over 300 zoonotic diseases to of stray dogs and dog bite cases have increased in
humans (Jefferson & Lovsin, 2020). Every year, Sindh (See Fig 2).
around 60,000 people die due to rabies, with dog bites
being responsible for over 95% of human rabies cases Although the data on the stray dog population, dog
(WHO, 2016). bites and rabies cases are not well documented in
Sindh, estimates by the local authorities suggest
Pakistan is facing a major epidemic of stray dogs. that stray dog bite cases have risen to 200,000 in
Although the exact number is unknown, it is 2020 from 150,000 in 2019 (Abbasi, 2021).
estimated that there are at least 3 million stray dogs in Furthermore, on average, around 630 dog-bite cases
the country (Malik, 2021). More than one million dog are reported across the province every day (Tunio,
bite cases are reported across Pakistan annually 2019).
(Ahmed, 2020) and around 2,000- 5,000 people die of
rabies every year (Jamal, 2021).

Sindh, Pakistan’s second-largest province in terms of

population, is facing an unprecedented stray dog
crisis (See Fig 1). Mostly two classes of stray dogs,
i.e., free-ranging dogs and feral dogs, are found in
urban areas and villages in Sindh. These stray dogs
pose important human health, environmental, animal
welfare, and socio-economic challenges.

Figure 2: Rising trend of dog bite cases in Sindh, Pakistan (PPI,

2020; Abbasi, 2021)

Figure 1: Stray dog crisis in Sindh (Malik, 2021; Ahmed, 2020)

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4138427 2

Karachi, the largest city of Sindh, has the highest Due to these two opposite approaches, there has
number of dog bite cases in the country (See Fig 3). been no significant change in the number of
The Indus Hospital Karachi reports that most of stray dogs and dog-bite cases in the country.
these dog bite victims are less than 15 years of age Sindh is no exception in this. The province lacks
(Ilyas & Qazilbash, 2021). Stray dogs pose a health a unified province-wide policy to manage the
risk as they can transmit zoonotic diseases like stray dog population.
rabies (Cafazzo et al., 2010). Furthermore, stray life
is very hard for these dogs as they are constantly In 2020, the Sindh government announced that it
subjected to public hatred, abuse, and malnutrition would undertake a mass vaccination campaign
(Salgirli et al., 2019). Thus, considering all these instead of mass culling to control stray
factors, the control of stray dogs is vital in the populations; however, to date, there is nothing to
province. show. Furthermore, the dogs that were
vaccinated and collared were culled by the
government in February 2021, making all efforts
by private shelters and NGOs futile (Abbasi,
2021).

Moreover, the use of poison to kill stray dogs is

extremely dangerous for human wellbeing as
well. During the mass killing campaign last
year, a toddler accidentally ate some poisoned
sweets meant for stray dogs and died, causing a
massive uproar in the country (Farrukh, 2021).
Despite the pushback from animal rights groups
and civil society, the municipal authorities in
Sindh continued to carry out the campaign.
Figure 3: Number of dog bite cases recorded in major hospitals of
Karachi, Sindh over the years (Hanif, 2020; Ayub, 2020)
Therefore, keeping in mind the severity of the
One main reason why Pakistan struggles with issue, it becomes vital to formulate and execute
combating the stray dog crisis is that it lacks a an effective policy to control the stray dog
unified strategy for stray population management population for tackling welfare, justice, and
(Abbasi, 2022). On the one side, NGOs and different public health concerns in the province.
animal rescue organizations are busy sterilizing and
vaccinating stray dogs while, on the other hand, the
provincial governments and local authorities are
carrying out stray-dog culling campaigns (Abbasi,
2021).

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4138427 3

What can be done to control the stray
dog population?
Three main policy options are used globally to manage the stray dog population. For each policy option,
factoring in the socio-economic and political context of the province, a multi-level analysis is conducted to
assess the policy durability by looking at Cost Effectiveness, Feasibility and Acceptability, Ethical
considerations and Longevity,

1) Mass culling of stray dogs It is estimated that 50, 000 dogs are culled each year
in the government-sanctioned mass killing of stray
dogs (Ilyas & Qazilbash, 2021).
Mass culling of stray dogs entails an inhuman process
by which free-roaming dogs are shot or poisoned in
The provincial government of Sindh also adopts the
large numbers, mostly by government authorities.
policy of mass culling from time to time. In 2006,
Many countries have banned mass culling for its
authorities culled thousands of strays by gunning
brutal nature and ineffectiveness in eradicating rabies
them down. Fourteen years later, the situation and
and other diseases (Ilyas & Qazilbash, 2021; Høgåsen
strategy remains unchanged, rather seems to have
et al., 2013; OIPA, 2021; Costa, 2011). Furthermore,
worsened (Umair, 2021). This in itself is a measure
according to the OIE guidelines, mass culling of stray
of the policy's ineffectiveness as it has failed to reach
animals to control the stray population is deemed
its desired target of reducing the stray population.
ineffective and inhumane (Ilyas & Qazilbash, 2021).

Mass culling as a policy to reduce stray dog

However, in some developing countries including
population has proven ineffective in most developing
Pakistan, mass culling is still a common practice used
countries. According to Tasker (2007), in countries
to manage the ever-growing population of stray dogs.
including Albania, Armenia, Moldova, and Ukraine
Although killing stray animals is illegal as per the
where mass culling was used to control stray dog
Pakistan Prevention of Cruelty of Animals Act, 1890,
population, not only did the policy fail but it also
local governments have resorted to killing stray dogs
proved counterproductive as the number of stray
for decades.
dogs increased over time.

Furthermore, in terms of ethical consideration and

feasibility, mass culling is a cruel practice that has
been prohibited by Islam as well as the Constitution
of Pakistan. Most people in Pakistan do not support
mass culling, deeming it immoral and barbaric.
Moreover, culling practices are carried out publicly
and bodies of dead dogs are left on the street for a
considerable time before collection. This practice,
therefore, has a high risk of giving rise to violence in
the society by desensitizing people to cruelty to non-
Dog carcasses lined up on the side of the road in Karachi, Sindh as a human animals (Jefferson & Lovsin, 2020).
result of mass culling operation (Image Source: Khan, 2015)

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4138427 4

Lastly, mass killings of dogs is a really expensive As proven by various studies, shelter life is hard for
operation, as the Government has to pay for weapons, dogs because of minimum social contact and limited
ammunition, and officers to perform the operation, physical activity (Tuber et al., 1996); Coppola et al.,
collection, and discharge of dead animals. On top of 2006).
this, mass killing of dogs is not a long-lasting solution
as seen in the case of India, where the killed dogs
were simply replaced by fertile and unvaccinated
dogs, which then reproduced very quickly
(Fitzpatrick et al., 2016; Jefferson & Lovsin, 2020).
Hence, this policy is not sustainable in the longer run.

2) Sheltering as a Method to Control

Stray Dogs

Another method to control the stray dog population is

Overcrowding of dogs in Harris County Animal Shelter (Image Source:
the sheltering method. The European Convention for Ortiz, 2019)
the Protection of Pet Animals (1987) recommends
“the catch-removal method” which takes free-ranging
This method, though proven somewhat effective in
dogs from their environment and places them in a
developed countries might not work in Pakistan.
shelter (Salgirli et al., 2019). This method is often
Religious and cultural preferences of the people
accompanied by the adoption method whereby
prohibit the adoption of dogs as companion animals.
captured stray dogs are put up for adoption after
Most people keep dogs for the sake of security but
vaccination and training. This method has shown
very few people adopt dogs as companion pets. In
favourable results in countries with high pet
Pakistan, owing to religious and cultural beliefs, dogs
ownership education and strong laws against pet
are usually seen as “unclean” under the false pretext
abandonment (Smith et al., 2019).
of being called impure in Islamic injections (Ilyas &
Qazilbash, 2021). Therefore, the overall success of
However, the use of shelters method to control the
this policy will depend on changing people’s views
population is costly and, therefore more commonly
which in itself is a difficult, complex, and long-term
employed in high and upper-middle-income countries
challenge.
like USA and Switzerland (Smith et al., 2019).
However, overcrowding in shelters due to low
Furthermore, Pakistan does not have many animal
adoption rates is a major issue that poses animal
shelters to house these dogs. There are only a few
welfare concerns (Daly, 2021). Another reason why
which are run by private entities and none of them is
adoption is not very effective when it comes to stray
funded or supported by the government. Hence, for
dogs is that people mostly prefer to adopt pure
this policy to work, the government will have to
expensive breeds instead of the shy mongrel breeds
release a large number of funds for the construction of
(Demirbaş et al., 2014).
new animal shelters. Hence, this policy will not be
cost-effective in Pakistan nor will it meet the
Furthermore, the shelter environment is not suitable
feasibility, ethical or longevity criteria.
for domestic dogs from an animal welfare perspective

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4138427 5

3) Collect Neuter Vaccinate and However, one thing missing in the Turkey model
is the implementation of strong penalties for pet
Return (CNVR)
abandonment which negatively impacts the
population control strategy (Amaku et al., 2010).
The CNVR approach, also known as ABC Hence, both good implementation of the CNVR
(Animal Birth Control) encompasses capturing, program and strong animal protection laws are
neutering, vaccinating and then releasing dogs important to deal with the free-ranging dog
back into their natural habitat. This policy is now problem. Other countries with similar socio-
being widely accepted as the most effective and economic and cultural contexts as Pakistan where
humane way of controlling the stray dog CNVR has proven effective include, Indonesia,
population in all countries, regardless of religious Sri Lanka and Bangladesh (Ilyas & Qazilbash,
or economic context. According to WHO and 2021).
OIE guidelines, CNVR is recommended as the
most effective method of dog population control
(Abbasi, 2021).

The Netherlands is the first country in the world

that has completely eradicated its stray dog
population using the CNVR and adoption
approach (Sawbridge, 2020). The country
adopted a comprehensive strategy where it
coupled the CNVR approach with educational
campaigns and sheltering of animals until
adoption. Denmark, Finland and Germany have
also controlled their stray dog population by
A stray dog caught in a net for the a NGO-led CNVR programme
employing this method. In most of these in Karachi (Image source: Umair, 2021)
developed countries, registration or licensing
system is enforced with an identity system such Not only can CNVR help in reducing the stray
as a microchip for identification of the dog population but it also can prevent rabies through
(Tasker, 2007). vaccination (Taylor et al., 2017). The Rabies
vaccination program by WHO caused rabies rates
Another model which can be used as a success to drop 93 percent (Frerking, 2018). CNVR has
case for CNVR policy and perhaps more relatable successfully controlled stray populations and
with the socio-economic, religious and cultural rabies in much of the developed world but is
context of Pakistan is Turkey. Turkey’s Animal often perceived as too costly or insufficiently
Protection Law, which was published in 2004, effective for resource-constrained regions with an
legitimized the CNVR program. As per this law, abundance of stray dogs.
Turkey has adopted a “Never Kill Policy” for
stray dogs (Salgirli et al., 2019). Instead, stray
dogs are captured, neutered, vaccinated, tagged
and released. The city administration is
responsible for feeding and taking care of strays.

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4138427 6

However, if the accumulative cost versus benefits is strategy is cheaper than the reactionary policies of
assessed, it can be proven that CNVR is more cost- dog culling. Since 2011, Bangladesh has replaced
effective as it effectively reduces the stray dog culling with large scale dog vaccination. Within the
population compared to other methods. This can be first three years of implementing this policy, human
shown by the cost-effectiveness analysis of rabies deaths by rabies fell by 50% (WHO, 2014).
control in the state of Tamil Nadu where it was
proven that the combination of female sterilization In addition to all this, this policy is the most humane
and vaccination among dogs was more cost-effective and ethically sound way to control the stray dog
in the long run than vaccination alone or mass killings population. Although some people oppose CNVR
(Fitzpatrick et al., 2016). deeming it as unnecessary and cumbersome, the
majority of the population in Pakistan supports it on
Similarly, in Bangladesh, for instance, the average the ground of ethicality. Hence, this policy seems
cost for vaccinating dogs is around $3 per dog while most effective as it passes all durability criteria: cost-
the treatment cost for human rabies is $32 to $92 per effectiveness, ethicality, feasibility, and longevity
person (Jefferson & Lovsin, 2020). Hence, a long- (See Table 1).
term vaccination and dog population management

Table 1: Summary of the cross-analysis of different policy options to control dog population in the context of Sindh, Pakistan (By
Author)

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4138427 7

How can CNVR be implemented in an
effective way?
To make sure that CNVR policy functions effectively, the provincial government of Sindh must take a holistic
approach towards stray population control. CNVR in itself can prove effective if undertaken with proper political
will and resource allocation; however, some additional measures such as introducing a ban on dog culling, setting
high penalties for pet abandonment, and educating the general public will go a long way in completely eradicating
the menace of dog bites and rabies in the province. The WHO recommends a comprehensive policy approach of
CNVR coupled with public education to effectively control the stray dog population. Furthermore, around 70% of
the dog population needs to be neutered for the policy to start showing favourable results (Jefferson & Lovsin,
2020). Keeping in mind WHO guidelines, the following is a roadmap that the province can take to ensure effective
implementation of CNVR:

1) Making essential legislative changes However, beyond provincial wildlife departments, it

remains vague as to which specific authority is
accountable for animal welfare. Subsequently, the
Putting a province-wide ban on dog culling:
management of stray animals is taken up by regional
The most important step in ensuring the effectiveness
municipal authorities which are largely underfunded
of the CNVR strategy is to ban government-
(WAP, 2020). Therefore, for the effective
sanctioned mass culling. The province needs a unified
implementation of CNVR, the cooperation of local
policy and therefore, must de-legitimize dog culling. If
municipal bodies is highly important.
the ban is not placed then there would always remain a
high risk of vaccinated and neutered dogs being killed,
Local municipal authorities will be the primary body
making all CNVR efforts useless.
responsible for undertaking the CVNR campaign at
the ground level in collaboration with grassroots
Setting high penalties to protect animals:
shelters and NGOs. Therefore, they must be given
CNVR has shown more favourable results in countries
proper resources and funding to pursue the CNVR
with strong animal protection laws (Salgirli et al.,
policy.
2019). Therefore, for CNVR to work effectively, the
government needs to ensure the effective
Moreover, the local municipal authorities shall be
implementation of animal protection laws.
obligated to make shelters for stray animals at public
Furthermore, vaccinated dogs shall be declared as
places like parks. Each vaccinated and neutered dog
community dogs under the law with strong penalties
shall be registered in a central database and
on beating, killing or torturing them
microchipped for identification to maintain proper
2) Placing local municipal authorities at records at the district level.

the heart of CNVR implementation Garbage dumps act as perfect breeding grounds,
therefore, local authorities must replace garbage
At the moment, there is no single government body dumps with feeding stations for the vaccinated
that is responsible for advancing animal rights and neutered dogs. Additionally, the enforcement of
welfare in the country. Animal welfare falls within the animal protection laws along with vaccination and
jurisdiction of the Department of Wildlife in each neutering of stray dogs will fall within their
province (Jefferson & Lovsin, 2020). jurisdiction.

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3) Enhancing collaboration between 4) Devising effective monitoring and
various stakeholders implementation mechanisms

Since a holistic CNVR campaign encompasses other The biggest issue which hinders the progress of any
policy interventions like public awareness and animal policy in Pakistan is the lack of proper
welfare legislation, its implementation requires implementation and regular monitoring and
coordination among various stakeholders such as evaluation. Therefore, district monitoring committees
local government, veterinary agencies, private actors, and tehsil implementation committees must be set up
businesses and non-government organizations to ensure the effective implementation and monitoring
(NGOs). of the policy. These committees must be made
responsible for regularly reviewing the progress of
Private veterinarians municipal authorities in implementing CNVR.
The local animal shelters and the private veterinarians
will have a vital role in executing the CNVR policy. Each district committee will monitor the performance
Therefore, there should be a training session for them of all tehsils falling under its jurisdiction. At the tehsil
regarding safe neutering, vaccination, and post- level, implementation committees will be responsible
treatment care. Furthermore, a steady supply of anti- for ensuring the implementation of CNVR by
rabies vaccines must be ensured in all clinics. municipal authorities. Moreover, these committees
shall be made multi-stakeholder to effectively engage
Local shelters all actors involved in executing the CVNR policy.
It is important to equip existing animal shelters with
good veterinary staff and an adequate number of
veterinary surgeons to perform vaccination and
castration. Furthermore, in countries where CNVR is
being implemented, rehabilitation programs are Keeping in mind the complex nature of the stray dog
conducted in shelters to improve the behaviour of the problem, it is important to tackle it from various
dogs (Salgirli et al., 2019). Hence, shelters in Sindh dimensions. Good implementation of CNVR with
should also conduct rehabilitation programs for stray enforcement of animal protection legislation, public
dogs. awareness, registration, and identification of the free-
ranging dogs is vital to reduce stray dog population,
NGOs ensure animal welfare and protect citizens from dog
NGOs can be mobilized for generating public bites and rabies risks. If the Sindh government does
awareness and setting up shelters for dogs. Public not undertake CNVR with full commitment, dog bites,
awareness is important for effective CNVR and rabies cases will keep rising, and the resultant
implementation. It is essential to modify the culling will not only increase the stray population
behaviour of people, protect vaccinated dogs and to over time but also bring negative publicity and
remove the stereotypes about stray animals. backlash from animal activists and the international
community. Hence, CNVR should be adopted as an
Businesses effective and humane policy for controlling the stray
The government can encourage local businesses to dog population in Sindh.
incorporate animal welfare in their Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR) projects by contributing
towards CNVR campaigns or by installing food
stations for community dogs.

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4138427 9

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