Finding Jolly

cover story

In the fall of 2015, Kitty, the daughter of our lovely resident stray Fringe, made her way into my room, discovered an empty cat house, decided it now belonged to her, and promptly moved in.

On March 27, 2016, Kitty gave birth to two beautiful kids, Lucky and Jolly, who instantly became my trusty little sidekicks.

On October 29, 2019, Jolly disappeared without a trace.

*****

About a cat

Jolly is an energetic, playful cuddle monster and purr machine who also happens to be a fairly staunch misanthrope. She inherited Kitty’s distrust of humans, and, channeling her inner Sven, came to the conclusion that every one of ‘em’s bad, except, of course, me. “Instead of loving lots of humans a little bit each, I’ll love this one weird lady a whole lot,” she decided, and I reciprocated by raising her like a little child and turning her into a complete spoiled brat. As you do.

But I think nature sent her to me, in its infinite wisdom, because Jolly was going to need a bit of extra help to survive. When she was 1, Jolly started having coughing spells, and it soon became obvious that my fur baby had very severe feline asthma. She was coughing around 10 to 15 times a day, as many as 20 on really bad days, and not responding to any treatment. In August last year, she had two near-fatal asthma attacks, after which her vet, Dr. Faheem, put her on a twice-daily inhaler regimen which has helped immensely by healing her lungs and giving her the chance to return to her normal, impish self.

In part because of her illness, my asthmatic kitty has been raised as a strictly indoor cat (who occasionally manages to sneak out despite our best efforts), and, while she has access to the roof where she can soak up the sun and make amusingly futile attempts to terrorize birds, she is rarely allowed to go outside, much to her chagrin.

On October 29th, I made the mistake of giving in to her nagging and letting her out.

*****

Day 1

Jolly left the house at around 11:30am. I saw her at noon, sitting happily on the pillar next to our gate, adamantly refusing to come back inside. A few minutes later, she had simply vanished.

The fact that she rarely stays outside for more than an hour meant that all the red flags were soon very raised. A neighbour’s guard last saw her at 2pm, after which there was simply no sign or sighting of her.

When she wasn’t back by the evening, I did the most logical, practical, pragmatic, productive thing I could possibly do: I burst into tears.

By the time night rolled around, I was full-on Viola Davis-style crying. There was no sign of Jolly anywhere in the immediate vicinity, and I was certain I’d never see her again.

Day 2

By the next morning, Jolly’s disappearance had turned into a complete mystery.

Jolly is scared of pretty much everything - humans, loud noises, big vehicles, her own shadow - and she isn’t accustomed to surviving out on her own. She was definitely in trouble, but what kind, we weren’t sure.

It was a case fit for a Hercule Poirot investigation. But since I couldn’t hire Poirot, seeing how he isn’t real, I thought I’d do the next best thing and search for her myself. Even if something had happened to her, someone somewhere must have seen her at some point.

Just as I was about to start my sleuthing, the lovely Sun entered my life like the beam of light she truly is. A devoted pet parent to an adorable Yorkshire Terrier, she saw a fellow animal lover in anguish and offered to help me look for my fur child. And so I temporarily paused my crying, and we set off, Sun and I, to find my missing four-legged friend, ringing every doorbell, asking everyone if they’d seen Jolly, shoving a photo of her into their unsuspecting faces.

And to my absolute surprise, it turned out that most of the people we came across were … really nice. Shocking, I know! Humans and nice! Who’da thunk!

Some showed concern and said they’d keep an eye out for her; some invited us to search in their yards. There were, however, a few who were just uninterested, and only one lady who seemed to genuinely rue our very existence, but as Sun pointed out, her lack of hospitality was her problem, not ours.

Hours of searching later, while my faith in humanity had been thoroughly restored, my cat’s whereabouts were still a mystery.

My mom and dad were concerned Jolly might have stowed away in someone’s car. My friend Hazel thought Jolly must be locked in a nearby detached or spare room. My Aussie sister Anny was convinced Jolly had been abducted by aliens, which, at this point, seemed like the most plausible explanation for her disappearance.

It would eventually turn out that Hazel’s guess was the closest. Jolly wasn’t locked in a room, but she was, indeed, stuck.

Day 3

Several of my astoundingly kind neighbours were looking for my cat at this point. And true to their word, the wonderful individuals who had shown concern for her the previous day did indeed keep an eye out for her. A number of times people showed up at our house thinking they’d found her, but they had invariably spotted some other kitty (who would most often turn out to be Button, one of my strays).

It was early evening when our neighbour’s driver, the same person who had last seen her nearly two days ago (and who is clearly the MVP of this story), came to our place and said he had found Jolly. I was sure this was going to be yet another Button sighting, but then he said the words “fan” and “stuck” and “definitely your cat”. 

OMG.

OMG. OMG. OMG.

Two doors down, crammed into a small space behind an exhaust fan around two storeys high, I saw a scared, starving, dehydrated feline - my Jolly. The family who lived in a hut in the mostly empty plot next door (and who were well aware that a cat was missing in the area) had known about her whereabouts since the day before and had done nothing to help her.

Now look … *steps on a soapbox* when you see an animal in trouble, here’s what you should do: something. Here’s what you should definitely not do: nothing. If Spider-Man has taught us one thing (and he clearly hasn’t, as you can see), it’s that with great power comes great responsibility. You know those opposable thumbs that we’ve been blessed with? They come with the responsibility to help those who haven’t had our evolutionary luck. If we see a creature in distress, we’re meant to help, not stand by and watch it slowly die like some kind of psychopaths. *steps off the soapbox*

So, anyway, my silly imp had managed to get herself stuck while exploring the neighbourhood. She couldn’t jump down; she doesn’t do heights. She couldn’t go back up; again that was a whole storey high. She had spent two days cooped up in a small hole with no food, water, or asthma medication, and had endured the sun during the day and the cold during the night. It’s a miracle she was still alive.

My amazing neighbours - mostly people I had never even met before - quickly sprung to action and brought ladders and poles and came up with rescue schemes that were never going to work and were immediately vetoed by yours truly. Our best bet was to convince the resident of the house to remove the exhaust fan, which, after some prodding, he did. 

But when she noticed that someone was tinkering with the fan and saw the number of people who had gathered outside, my little girl completely freaked out. Turns out, there is one thing she’s more scared of than death: humans. 

She jumped. (Gasp!)

Thankfully she landed safely (whew!), then ran straight for home, beelining for her water bowl as soon as she got in, after which she pretty much collapsed on the bed. With the ordeal her body had been through, it would take her weeks to be able to eat properly, and a whole month to fully recover.

*****

And that is how a group of totally random people came together to help me find my missing cat and reaffirm my faith in humanity along the way. I did not think anyone would care about my lost pet, and I could never have imagined so many strangers would be willing to offer a helping hand. 

Where I expected indifference, I found kindness. When I thought there was no hope, I found support. 

People still ask how Jolly is doing. Just the other day, a neighbour inquired if I found my cat and then wanted to know all the details of her rescue. Maria and Sahil, the kids who very enthusiastically helped look for her, now wave to me whenever they see me. Sun even brought lots of presents for Jolly and is glad that my furry friend and I have been reunited.

As for Jolly herself, she is obviously grounded for life now, although I’m not sure she knows that, seeing how she keeps sneaking out of the house all the time anyway. Could someone please convince her that she’s meant to be an indoor cat? Because I really don’t need another practical demonstration of the goodness of humanity!

- Sameen Amer

Us Magazine, The News International - 13th December, 2019

About a dog

Lovely readers,

Good day.

This is Sameen, a fellow Earthling [1] whose name you might have seen in Us Magazine before.

And as you may or may not have noticed yet, I have taken over today’s issue of the magazine. Apologies!

Let me explain.

But before that, let me warn you, the rest of this piece is a bit of a downer. Tears are likely to be shed at some point. So grab a box of tissues, have a seat, make yourselves comfortable. Now hand me the box of tissues because I am going to need it.

Take a look at this photo. [2]

This is Rocket, a beautiful four-legged bundle of awesomeness. I first met him a few months ago – perhaps in the second half of last year? – when I found him walking around, all by his lonesome, in my neighbourhood. I gave him some milk and bread, and that’s how we became friends. He quickly became very popular and much loved in my family. Whenever he showed up – which was almost every day, at times more than once a day – we’d feed him, talk to him, dote over him, and sometimes let him into the porch to rest. He was smart, gentle, and very friendly, and his effortless adorableness always left us uplifted. We talked about letting him stay inside more often (if we could teach him to get along with our many stray cats) and he was on his way to having a permanent home with us [3], but that wasn’t to be.

On 14th March, we heard a gunshot. Rocket, we would soon find out, had been shot and killed. And so had most of his canine friends.

I had heard of the culling of stray dogs numerous times before, and it had always broken my heart. But I had been told it didn’t happen here, not in our town. Our people weren’t that brutal, and if there was ever an issue, our strays were just nicely, humanely relocated to some magical farm where they lived happily ever after. Of course I didn’t entirely believe that, but surely the authorities wouldn’t just suddenly, randomly shoot all the dogs?

Yes they would.

Just thinking of culling is upsetting for any animal lover; experiencing it first hand is just plain excruciating.

What could possibly make it even more excruciating? Finding three lovely dogs (who looked very similar to Rocket) outside the house the next morning and not knowing what the heck to do.

A guard told us that a man had been called in to shoot the dogs, and the guard himself seemed upset about the decision. “It’s such a sin to shoot animals like this, it’s such a sin to shoot cats and dogs,” he kept repeating. “Bohat gunna hai, bohat gunna hai.”

So were we going to hear three more gunshots that day? We couldn’t just sit idly by and let that happen. But what could we do?

“Contact NGOs,” someone suggested, and a lot of frantic googling later, we found the links to a few animal welfare organizations that helped stray animals. A friend was nice enough to message them on Facebook, until we finally heard back from one of them. Todd’s Welfare Society (TWS) agreed to help by relocating the dogs (for a fee of Rs.1000, which another friend generously donated immediately). Their team showed up twice – on Thursday night and Saturday night – and despite their best efforts were unable to catch the dogs (who it turned out were the parents of lovely little pups). The TWS folks simply weren’t trained for the job, they said; they were just volunteers. They did, however, manage to convince the authorities to stop the culling (for now) and next time to give them a call and to help them relocate the dogs instead of killing them mercilessly.

Of course this isn’t a permanent solution and it leaves the ultimate fate of the dogs in limbo. So what is a better, long-term solution? I tried to find out, and the nice folks at Us Mag were kind enough to allow me to tell you all about it.

To find out about humane stray control strategies, I asked a number of veterinarians, including some who have worked on projects to rescue stray dogs; you can read what they had to say here.

Fortunately a lot of people are trying to do something about this issue. You can read the interviews of three such efforts – TWS in Lahore, Save Our Strays in Karachi, and People’s Animal Care Trust in Rawalpindi – in today’s issue of Us. There are, of course, many more animal welfare initiatives in this country; we hope we will be able to tell you about their efforts, too, in the future.

We have also asked celebrities their views on animal rights and welfare. We admire these people for their talents, and they clearly admire animals for all the benefits and love they provide.

In these pages, you will hear from a lot of people who will implore you to love animals, not fear them; to try and help them, not shoot or poison them to death. Several experts have explained why culling does not solve anything; it just leaves you tapped in an endless cycle of brutality. Please pay heed to their words.

Nature is magical. Everything has its place in this world, and we all need to coexist in harmony. Being the dominant species gives us power. And with great power, superheroes keep telling us, comes great responsibility. It is our responsibility to help the creatures around us, not crush them.

While I may not know much, I am fairly certain of the fact that God did not create dogs so that psychopaths could use them for shooting practice.

Please help bring culling to an end. Help any animals you can. Raise awareness about their plight. Teach children to care. Don’t let your fear or inconvenience be the death sentence for another living creature. And if you have genuine concerns about any animals, please do not ask your authorities to shoot or poison them; specify that you don’t condone needless violence – ask for humane solutions instead.

Embrace love.

And if you can’t do anything else, then just do one thing: be kind. Please be kind.

[1] (unless you’re from a different planet, in which case … hope you’re having better luck than we are)

[2] This is an old photo from when he first showed up months ago. I’m afraid I don’t have any more recent photos. Didn’t realize I urgently needed to take more. Didn’t know I’d never get the chance.

[3] A friend abroad had even sent a collar for him. It hasn’t arrived yet. You do not want to speak to me the day it does.

- Sameen Amer

Us Magazine, The News International - 30th March, 2018 *

For the love of animals

us talk

Celebrities weigh in on the situation of animal rights in Pakistan, the plight of stray animals, and what can be done to make things better for animals in this country

Haroon Rashid

Haroon and Bella

- Animal rights in Pakistan: Unfortunately animal rights are not getting the attention they deserve. Animals need to be treated in the most humane manner possible.
- Plight of stray animals in Pakistan: I think the plight of animals in Pakistan is not very good. You just have to take a look at the state of some of the zoos. We do have many animal lovers in Pakistan, but at the same time, the majority of the population never grew up with pets and are scared of cats and dogs, which is quite funny to me.
- How to improve the situation: I think the biggest issue we face is awareness and that can come through education and public service messages. Furthermore, I think children should be exposed to animals at a young age. Many children are discouraged from keeping pets by their parents even though they desperately would love to get a puppy or a kitten. Having pets can have so many benefits; it’s well documented in science. Children especially benefit from growing up with pets. Pets teach empathy and responsibility; can give children confidence; and can be very therapeutic.

Zoe Viccaji

- Animal rights in Pakistan: As a nation, we treat our animals really badly, and there seems to be very little empathy towards living things. Something that bugs me to no end is that whenever I post anything about animal rights or a case where animals are being treated badly I get a number of messages telling me to get my priorities right and how dare I talk about animals when there are ‘much bigger’ issues.
- Plight of stray animals in Pakistan: My heart bleeds for our strays.  I know overpopulation is a huge issue and stray dogs have been a nuisance to many, but this issue needs to be tackled as it has been in many foreign countries through trap-neuter-release. Unfortunately our people believe in what they think are quick fixes, and hordes of dogs are poisoned and killed. Funds dedicated to proper population control are swallowed by those at the top.
- How to improve the situation: That’s a tough question and I’m really no expert. I would start by creating loving environments in schools for animals and making them more a part of children’s lives. Just as we are told to do to others as we would have them do unto us, love and respect towards animals needs to be built into our moral and ethics codes.

• Zoe and Teddy: This is the very first dog I ever had. Picked him up in Jhelum and [hid] him in the car. When we got home my parents got a shock. We went back trying to find its home and finally some shopkeepers said he was a stray who had no home and we were welcome to keep him. His name was Teddy and he went on to live for around 12 or 14 years. My first song was also about him when he passed away.

Goher Mumtaz
- Animal rights in Pakistan: Animal rights in Pakistan are seriously compromised. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen any animal rights being acted upon, so not sure even if there are any. [Animal rights will remain only theoretical] until and unless the masses are aware of them and feel responsible towards them.
- Plight of stray animals in Pakistan: Animals are mistreated, abused, and neglected. And what’s sad is that it can be witnessed anywhere and everywhere in Pakistan because there is no law and no fear of any charges or punishment. The mind-set of people that “forget about animals, even we humans don’t have any rights here” makes it ok for them to mistreat or become a witness to the mistreatment towards animals.
- How to improve the situation: I believe there should be a law [that requires] charges [being filed] there and then, like they do if you break traffic rules. There should be shade provided for working animals, with designated areas where they can rest. There should be shelters for stray animals to encourage people to help them and leave them in good hands. I can go on and on.

Angeline Malik

Angeline and Oscar Wilde

- Animal rights in Pakistan: I feel there is no such thing as animal rights in Pakistan. I believe they have equal rights as any human being but it's a shame that animals are treated with cruelty in Pakistan.
- Plight of stray animals in Pakistan: It's very unfortunate but if you look around you and see all these voiceless stray animals, you will think their conditions are so pathetic that their only relief is death. How terrible is that? No one bothers to feed them and provide them clean water. In fact, the general attitude is of abusing them, which is a shame since being a Muslim state we are supposed to be kind to all beings, but that is not what the general population practices.
- How to improve the situation: We can improve conditions by creating awareness. No one addresses the rights of animals. The general population is more concerned about their own wellbeing. [There will be improvement] if we can reinforce the fact that while [people] are working on the betterment of their own plight, they should be kind to animals along the way. The government should take steps to create more shelters. Take a stand where we see any kind of cruelty to animals and reinforce the basics of Islam.

Nausher Javed

- Animal rights in Pakistan: Unfortunately this is a neglected topic in our society. I don't see a lot of focus or attention given towards it. 
- Plight of stray animals in Pakistan: I feel the only focus is on killing or poisoning the stray animals with no future oriented approach.
- How to improve the situation: Better medical services, more veterinary clinics, and qualified doctors is what we need. There is scope to introduce more adoption centres and animal centres where pets can be left in safe hands.

Ayesha Omar

- Animal rights in Pakistan: I feel that we need more rights for all living beings in Pakistan, whether it’s animals or human beings. I do know that a bill was passed recently which makes cruelty towards all animals a criminal offense punishable under law, so hats off for that bill being passed. At least a step has been taken in the right direction. But a lot more can be done.
- Plight of stray animals in Pakistan: There are so many strays all over the country. A few people I know do actually work a lot for animal rights. A friend of mine, Ayesha Chundrigar, has an animal shelter as well which I frequently visit, and a lot of friends are also doing stuff privately on their own.
- How to improve the situation: I think that more laws can be passed about cruelty towards animals. I think the government should set up animal shelters for strays where they can feed animals, and also work on awareness campaigns to promote animal rights. We need to educate people and teach them what to do when they see an animal in pain. And the state should get involved and get connected to the people who are trying to help animals on their own.

Anoushey Ashraf

Photo credit ACF

- Animal rights in Pakistan: I have been a very strong advocate of animal rights in Pakistan. I think they deserve the rights that are already there in our laws but they’re just not implemented.
- Plight of stray animals in Pakistan: My heart breaks every time I look at a donkey or a dog or a cat or any strays. It really makes me feel very sad and very upset. I’m glad that there are organizations and the youngsters are now doing their bit to help the plight of stray animals in Pakistan. I have a feeling that very soon things will get better for them.
- How to improve the situation: I think teaching children empathy [will help] because learning to respect and love animals starts at an early age. Another thing that can improve the situation is the spaying-neuter campaign that the Ayesha Chundrigar Foundation is working on extensively. That’s a really good way of going about things because that’s how you eventually end up controlling the population of strays in the country, and that will automatically improve the situation.

- Sameen Amer

Us Magazine, The News International - 30th March, 2018 *

Compassion for strays

petwise

Seeking more ethical treatment for the nation’s stray dogs

Instead of finding a humane, long-term solution for stray management, authorities are choosing to brutally shoot and poison stray dogs. Surely there is a better, kinder, more effective strategy for stray management and control? We asked a number of veterinarians how best to deal with this issue and what can be done to improve the plight of stray animals in Pakistan. Here’s what they had to say…

Dr. Syed Saleem Ahmad

(Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences; CEO Saleem Vet Clinic)
We ran a pilot project with U.S. funding for rescuing stray dogs. We caught the strays with a catcher and sometimes we needed to use dart guns. Then we operated - that is castrated or neutered - and vaccinated them. We kept them in a shelter home and then handed them over to animal lovers. It was a very successful project. To shoot or give painful drugs to animals is unethical. The best solution is to make shelter homes for these stray animals. And if an animal needs to be put down [for instance, in case of diseases where we have no other option], it is better to first tranquilize them. These efforts are not being made just due to lack of funding at government level and the mind-set of the public.

Dr. Rehan Mehmood
(Owner Pets and Vets)
Firstly, there should be legislation in our assemblies to stop cruelty towards stray animals. Secondly, awareness should be raised in our society about treating stray animals with kindness, with media, seminars, animal shows, and the addition of subjects in school education [working towards inspiring kind behaviour towards animals].
A large portion of stray animals consists of dogs, and the main perceived threat of dogs is biting, which, in very rare cases, leads to rabies. However, the rabies vaccine is available at a very cheap rate - for less than Rs. 80 per animal - and its immunity lasts for three years. Our NGO, Save the Animals Foundation, undertook the task of vaccinating strays and made almost 80 percent stray dogs “rabies free” in some specific areas of Lahore for three years [proving that this disease can be easily prevented]. The government should collaborate with animal NGOs and other institutions for the betterment of stray animals.

Dr. Rashid Hussain
(Veterinarian, Asim Pets Clinic)
The most important thing is to educate people that all strays and pets should be surgically fixed so that they do not reproduce. The major problem is lack of resources and the Pakistani people’s lack of information about animals.

Dr. Waseem Hassan
(Veterinary surgeon; owner SurgVet Pet Hospital Karachi)
In Pakistan, people complain to the authorities for culling of dogs due to [the fear of] dog bites and sometime they don’t like their barking in the streets. There are two main solutions for stray management. The first involves educating the community about animal kindness. The second and permanent solution is mass vaccination and surgeries to stop their further breeding so that they spend the rest of their life peacefully. After surgery and vaccination, they should be marked with some type of tattoos or any collar [to show they have received the procedures] and the community should be educated about the whole procedure. A third solution is to make shelter houses for strays. But much more important is to change the thinking of people [and how they perceive dogs] and educating them to love animals.

Dr. Awais Anees
(Principal Veterinary Surgeon, Lahore Animal Hospital)
Dogs have been with us for thousands of years. Their utility as companion animals and their right to co-exist with man was well recognized by ancient sages, and the dogs were loved and nurtured.
As a practicing vet surgeon, I think the only logical way to keep dogs off the streets is to have zero garbage in the city. A.B.C. (Animal Birth Control) programme is another way to control the dog population. The cost can be drastically cut through chemical castration of male dogs. At Lahore Animal Hospital, we do low cost sterilization of stray adopted animals with free rabies vaccination. I have also heard that the Lahore City Government in collaboration with University of Veterinary & Animal Sciences (UVAS) Lahore is about to launch Rabies Free Lahore.

- Sameen Amer

Us Magazine, The News - 30th March, 2018 *

Todd’s Welfare Society - rescuing Lahore’s strays

in conversation

While there are some people who choose to turn a blind eye to the suffering of the animals around them, there are fortunately many others who decide to take action and help the furry, feathered, and scaled creatures in need. Kiran Maheen is a shining example of the latter. We asked Kiran to tell us about her organization, Todd’s Welfare Society (TWS), and the experience of rescuing Lahore’s strays...

Us: What inspired the creation of TWS?
Kiran Maheen: Animal rights and environmental sustainability has always been my passion. Even as a young child I would rescue kittens and puppies off the road and bring them up, but then you get sucked into the rat race of perfect grades and all interests are forgotten. Seven years ago, I had to go through something traumatic to remind me of the person I once was. My three year old, Todd, walked out of the house for five minutes, and he never came back. That incident changed how I looked at animals. We are not their owners, but their families. Somebody just took a member of my family away from me and nobody cared, not my friends (save a few), or the police or the guards and general community. Suddenly I was looking at the animal world with a new sight. I saw the animals suffering on the roads, and in zoos because we the “human animals” don’t consider their lives important enough.
The second event which led to the creation of TWS was around two years ago when I received a frantic call from my friend, Umer Rajpoot. Model Town security had shot a stray dog near his house; she had been shot twice in the face with a double barrel gun and bullets had pierced through her eyes blinding her. He did not have any transport at the moment to take her to the vet, and according to civilians nearby she was shot at around 6-7 a.m, which meant she had been suffering from the last few hours. I got in contact with another animals rights activist and she rushed to the scene. They rushed to the nearest clinic where the dog was humanely put down. We named her Joanne as nobody should die nameless, and buried her in a plot nearby.
That was the day I realized that mere talks were not helping. We needed to do something practically to end this suffering. This is how on March 6th, TWS was formed to protect and fight for animal rights.

Us: Tell Us about your journey with TWS so far.
Kiran: The last two years have been absolutely incredible. We have laughed, cried, and screamed but once you look at a scared dog finally trusting you and coming forward for a cuddle, a sick cat who didn’t have a single hair on his/her body get better and find a loving home, it’s all worth it.
We have rescued over 300 animals, including dogs, cats, donkeys, rabbits, and birds. We have spayed and neutered almost 90 percent of our rescues, which is an important objective. We have also conducted awareness seminars in schools and universities, in which we taught students about basic animal rights and what they can do to help reduce animal cruelty, organized volunteer programs with different schools - including City School, LGSi, and TNS - through which the students volunteered at the shelter.
We’re currently building an animal shelter in Lahore, which will be operational by mid-summer.

Us: What obstacles or criticisms have you had to face?
Kiran: Surprisingly, raising funds has never been a challenge. We have met such kind, compassionate, and generous people over the last two years. Overall Pakistan is a very charitable nation; we always heard this but now we have also experienced it.
Finding adoptions, however, is a big problem. Everyone wants to comment on a local kitten’s/puppy’s picture and tell you how cute they are but nobody wants to take them home. However, if he/she is a breed, our inbox is flooded with requests for adoptions.
The basic culture of our country has also been quite a challenge frankly. The belief that dogs are unclean and dangerous is ingrained in our society. Emma, a pregnant dog we rescued - who was also our first rescue - was an incredibly happy and loving dog. The kids in the streets had been feeding and looking after her for months. However, people in the area felt that her presence in the street was keeping the angels away. They truly believed that she was bringing germs and gandagi to the area, for which they wanted to poison her. I shudder to think what would have happened had we not rescued her.
Another thing which I have been noticing a lot is that as a society we do not value the life of an animal. The fact that one ran over a dog or a cat isn’t something to feel sad about. It is treated as one of those “oh” situations that are forgotten within seconds. We as Pakistanis have become so self-absorbed that we do not believe that another living being can feel, think, and feel pain. The classic line “help humans, not animals; the animals’ life is not important” has been said to me more times than I can count.
To overcome all of these challenges, I personally believe that there is only one way: to educate and teach the youth regarding animal rights.

Us: What’s been the government’s response to the killing of stray animals in Lahore?
Kiran: We have tried to contact the government several times. The response has always been lukewarm. However, the last time we contacted them was a few months back when one of our members managed to contact someone senior in the Punjab Government. Sadly, we were told that they do not want to even look at the proposal, and that they will keep shooting the dogs as they are a threat and are “impure”.

Us: What do you think is the best course of action for stray management?
Kiran: Perhaps the only way is TNVR - Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate, and Return. You neuter or spay the dog, so that they cannot breed anymore; you vaccinate them, to control rabies; then you tag them and put them back on the street. This is literally the only way.
Dog culling has never been and will never be appropriate. You kill 2000 dogs from the 3000 that exist; in another year those 1000 left will have given birth to several more dogs. For example, the 1000 are evenly distributed in pairs. This means 20 puppies per pair, per year. That’s 10,000 dogs more in just one year. Even if 40% die of natural causes, you still have 6000 more dogs. But if you implement TNR, and spay 70% of the population, within 5 to 6 years, the population will decrease by 50 to 60%.
Also, we need to build a culture where local breeds are promoted rather than fluffy foreign breeds. A stray local dog will love you the same as a foreign dog.
Lastly, we need laws. Laws to protect animal rights for offenders who repeatedly abuse and neglect animals. Unless the government makes it a criminal act to harm animals, the abuse will never stop. Some new laws were passed the last few months, but the government itself doesn’t follow them.

Us: Why do you think the plight of animals does not get the attention it deserves in this country?
Kiran: I often get to hear that in a country, which is suffering from poverty, unemployment and hunger, animals rights is not what one should focus on. But let me ask you, of the 1000 NGOs that exist, how many do you see working for animals? Probably one or two of them? If those NGOs stop, who is going to look at forgotten souls? I am not saying humans are not suffering. However, that does not mean that we turn a blind eye to the constant, widespread, intense abuse animals suffer in our country.
Sadly, our constant denial of animal abuse affects us and people around us as well. Studies show that psychopaths, convicted serial killers, and rapists are very likely to have abused animals. Their lack of remorse, compassion and empathy makes animals an easy target for them. However, as they grow up they start losing interest in animals and start targeting humans. There is a very high link between animal abuse and domestic violence.

Us: What can the average person do to help animals in Pakistan?
Kiran: We can all take simple steps to decrease animal abuse and help animals in our society. Of course not everyone has to be an animal rescuer or has to adopt an animal, but we can also help them by making their life easier.
Start by leaving out food and water outside your homes or on your roofs. Pakistan faces some of the worst summers and we literally see birds falling down from dehydration. You can help injured and sick animals by just taking them to the vet, or calling your local NGO or vet for help. If you see someone hurting an animal, stop them right there! Tell kids not to throw stones and donkey cart owners not to beat their donkeys or starve them.
If you already have a pet, you can spay and neuter them; a lot of puppies die from disease, accidents, are tortured or end up homeless. You can say no to places which abuse animals, places like your local zoo, circuses, weddings with caged, scared pigeons in small cages - stop visiting them and tell them what they are doing is wrong. Animals have lived here for far longer than any of us; they have more right to this land then we do.
And if you can donate to a shelter like ours, that will go a long way in helping the animals we rescue. We take food, litter, bedding, and other items as well as donations. Every little bit helps.

- Sameen Amer

Us Magazine, The News - 30th March, 2018 *

Save Our Strays – helping animals in Karachi

in conversation

A chat with Syed Mustafa Ahmed, the lead volunteer of SOS 

Us: How and when was SOS Animals Pakistan founded, and what inspired the creation of this initiative?
Syed Mustafa Ahmed: Save Our Strays is not an organization. We’re just 12 individuals working voluntarily to help stray animals. Being an animal lover since childhood and then experiencing the culling of strays led to the formation of SOS. Our goal is to make this a public interest, and not a personal one.

Us: What efforts has SOS been making to help stray animals in the last few years?
Mustafa: Save our Strays relocated more than 3,500 dogs from DHA and Clifton in 2015 alone. We have neutered, vaccinated, and collared above 1,052 animals – both dogs and cats – since 2012, and also vaccinated and collared above 7,500 animals since 2012. We have managed to stop culling in almost every area of Karachi. We have also facilitated the adoption of around 140 to 170 stray animals, rescued and treated 5,000 plus injured animals, run animal rights awareness programs in 7 areas of Karachi, and are also working towards helping marine and wildlife.

Us: How do you feel about the response you have received from the public so far?
Mustafa: The public response and overall experience has been very positive. It’s a matter of proper conversation and guidance.

Us: Who is responsible for the decision of shooting stray animals? Have there been any efforts to inspire the government/authorities to pay attention to this issue and consider humane alternatives instead?
Mustafa: The cantonment law of public safety is the main issue and needs amendment. It allows culling of stray animals on the basis of rabies control, whereas all developing countries including India and Sri Lanka have adopted the World Health Organization guidelines of Animal Birth Control. 

Us: What do you think is the best course of action for stray management? And what efforts do you think should be made to improve the stay animal situation in the country?
Mustafa: The best way to handle the stray population is trap-neuter-vaccinate-release. The population will automatically decrease over time.

Us: You must have come across a lot of apathy towards the plight of stray animals, and there are many who consider the issue unimportant or secondary. Why do you think this issue does not get the attention it deserves in this country? And why do you think this is important? Why should people care about animals?
Mustafa: Usually everyone believes that stray dogs have rabies and are impure, as guided by our religious scholars and of course the society we live in, but the reality is that they are a part of our ecosystem. God made them for a reason. Rat population is controlled by cats; cat population is controlled by dogs.  Dogs are our natural security guards, and have always lived side by side with humans.
What people need is clear guidance on the topic of animal welfare and their rights, not just from a humanitarian point of view, but also from scientific, religious and health angles.

Us: What can the average person do to help stray animals in Pakistan?
Mustafa: Feed them, help them become friendly, get them vaccinated, and if you can afford it, get them neutered.

- Sameen Amer

Us Magazine, The News - 30th March, 2018 *

People’s Animal Care Trust – feeding strays in Rawalpindi

in conversation

Fans of ‘90s pop music might remember Fringe Benefits, a band that gained popularity with songs like ‘Tanhai’ and ‘Pyar Diyan Gallan’. In recent years, the group’s vocalist, Shehryar Kureshi, has been busy with a very different project: helping street animals.

He has opened his own rented home to rescued animals, providing shelter to dozens of creatures in need, including 23 cats, three dogs, and even a crow. Plus he goes out every afternoon to feed around 50 to 60 street cats in Rawalpindi. “The reason I have dedicated my life to helping animals so much is because there are already so many people dedicated to hurting them,” he says.

Shehryar explains that he wasn’t “inspired” but “compelled” to initiate the animal welfare organization People’s Animal Care Trust (PACT) in 2009 after being affected by the terrible condition of animals, especially stray cats and dogs. “The behaviour of the majority of the people in our society is extremely cruel towards these poor souls,” he bemoans. “People are completely unaware and ignorant when it comes to animal rights. There is a plethora of human welfare and development NGOs here in Pakistan, but animal welfare NGOs are scarce in number.”

The teachings of Islam also influenced him to show kindness towards animals. “Our Holy Book, Quran, has several verses which teach us to be kind and merciful towards other living beings, as Allah loves such persons, and even the Sunnah of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) also motivates us to show kindness and mercy to animals,” he says. “Sadly our clerics talk about everything in their sermons except acts of kindness towards animals according to Islam.”

Shehryar prides himself in being a “messiah for animals”, and aims to bring up more change with his organization. “We hope to construct a proper animal shelter along with a 24/7, state of the art hospital facility with a qualified vet,” he explains. “We also want there to be a task force to prevent animal abuse and to reinforce the implementation of the laws against animal cruelty.”

As for his music career, Shehryar says he misses the ‘90s golden era of Pakistani music, but he is still active on this front (his new songs are on his YouTube channel) as well as training a choir and teaching music, trying to impart his knowledge to youngsters.

His main focus, though, remains on PACT. The organization has been running with the help of donations from generous patrons, and Shehryar has also been spending a portion of his own salary to foot the food and medical costs of his rescues. He hopes the Us Magazine readers will help spread the word about PACT and will also choose to treat animals will kindness. “Animals are just like us,” he says. “Just because they don’t talk like us doesn’t mean they don’t feel like us.” He also wishes parents will encourage children to love animals and feel empathy towards them instead of being scared of them “No animal will harm you until they feel threatened,” he continues. “Raising awareness is the best way forward.”

- Sameen Amer

Us Magazine, The News - 30th March, 2018 *

Fabulous fauna

quiz whiz

1. What is the collective noun for a group of pandas?
A. Embarrassment
B. Implausibility
C. Murder
D. Pandemonium

2. How many toes does a cat normally have?
A. 16
B. 18
C. 20
D. 22

3. What is the average life expectancy of a goat?
A. 3 to 5 months
B. 4 to 6 years
C. 8 to 10 years
D. 15 to 18 years

4. How many tigers remain in the world?
A. 390,000
B. 39,000
C. 3,900
D. 390

5. What is a male duck called?
A. Bruno
B. Drake
C. Kendrick
D. Prince

6. What colour is a polar bear’s skin?
A. White
B. Yellow
C. Green
D. Black

7. What sound do elephants make?
A. Trumpet
B. Toot
C. Honk
D. Howl

8. What is the normal canine gestation period?
A. 22 days
B. 63 days
C. 280 days
D. 640 days

9. What is the young of a kangaroo called?
A. Joey
B. Chandler
C. Ross
D. Gunther

10. Which mammal lays eggs?
A. Orca
B. Penguin
C. Duck-billed platypus
D. Bat

11. Which of these four animals runs the fastest?
A. Horse
B. Giraffe
C. Bison 
D. Ostrich

12. How many hearts does an octopus have?
A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
D. 4

*****

Answers

1. A
A group of pandas is called an embarrassment, bamboo, or cupboard of pandas.
Shrewdness is the collective noun for a group of apes.
Murder is a group of crows.
And a group of parrots is called a pandemonium!

2. B
Normal cats have 18 toes – five on each front paw and four on each hind paw.
In rare cases, however, cats can have more toes: polydactyl cats have a congenital physical anomaly and may have as many as eight digits on their fore or hind paws or, less commonly, on both sets of paws.

3. D
While life expectancy differs by type and subspecies, a goat’s natural life span is thought to be between 15 and 18 years. However, goats are slaughtered at ages as young as only 3 to 5 months old, and are often slaughtered between 6 months to a year.

4. C
While the exact number of tigers is unknown, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), there are at least 3,890 tigers in the wild as of 2016, more than 2,200 of which are in India. It is estimated that there were over 100,000 tigers in the wild at the start of the 20th century, but several subspecies of the big cat have since been brought to the brink of extinction.
In comparison, there are 7.6 billion humans in the world.

5. B
A male duck is called a drake. A female duck is called … a duck.

6. D
A polar bear’s skin is actually black. Baby polar bears have pink skin which turns black as they grow older.
Their fur is … not white. It’s clear, colourless, translucent, and hollow. It reflects light and makes the bear look white.
Polar bears that eat a lot of seals can be yellowish because of the seal oils accumulated in the fur.
Polar bears that live in warmer climates can have algae growing inside their hair, which can make them look green.

7. A
Elephants trumpet when they are excited, angry, upset, or playful by pushing air through their trunk.

8. B
A dog’s gestation period is between 58 to 68 days, usually about 63 days.
A rat’s gestation period is normally 22 days, but can be between 21 to 23 days. The average length of human pregnancy is 280 days. Elephants have the longest gestation period of all mammals, carrying their young for 640 to 660 days – that’s nearly two years! – before giving birth.

9. A
A baby kangaroo is called a joey.
Male kangaroos are called bucks, boomers, jacks, or old men. Female kangaroos are does, flyers, or jills. A group of kangaroos is a flock, herd, mob, or troop.

10. C
The duck-billed platypus is one of only two egg-laying mammals (the other being the echidna or spiny anteater).
Orca and bats are mammals that give birth to their babies instead of laying eggs. Penguin are birds that lay eggs.

11. D
The largest bird in the world, the ostrich is a very impressive runner. Ostriches can sprint at speeds of up to 72 km/h (45 mph) on average, with a peak 96.6 km/h (60 mph) during short periods, making them the fastest animal on two legs.
A horse gallops at 40 – 48 km/h. Bison can move at speeds of up to 56 km/h. And a giraffe can sprint at 55 – 60 km/hr.

12. C
An octopus has three hearts – two pump blood to the gills while a third circulates it to the rest of the body.
What’s even more peculiar though is that an octopus effectively has nine brains. Its highly complex nervous system includes a central brain and a neural structure at the base of each of its eight arms which controls movement.

- S.A.

Us Magazine, The News International - 16th March, 2018 *

The immaculate cat

cover story

Fluffy, king of the garden

Cats are awesome, and they know it. They are so amazing, in fact, that they were even worshipped as deities in ancient cultures (and if you’ve ever met a cat, then you know this historic divine status is something that the feline has never forgotten). But popularity breeds haters, and that is exactly what has happened in the case of these magnificent furry creatures. There are some misguided – and, let’s face it, clearly quite envious – humans who have been levelling completely baseless accusations against our feline overlords companions, calling them things like annoying, aloof, fickle, and – excuse me while I gasp – useless. But that smear campaign ends today, for not only are cats cute and cuddly and altogether adorable, but they also happen to be the most selfless, hardworking, and useful creatures that have ever set paw on planet Earth. That’s right; the cat diligently serves many functions in various capacities all around us, tirelessly toiling all day long just to help others. All you need to realize its many roles in our lives is a little bit of love (and a lot of imagination).

Renovation instigator
You are lazy. That’s ok, I’m not judging you. But we both know that if it were up to you, you’d never bother to renovate your living space and would just end up with the same curtains and sofas and blankets and carpets for a decade. Left to your own devices, your life would be stagnant. Thankfully though, the cat is always there to help you, slowly nudging you on by shredding your drapes and using your rugs as his own personal scratch pad, all in the hopes of inspiring you to give your house an overhaul. The cat isn’t doing any of this for himself; the cat is doing this all for you. Because he loves you and cares about you. You’re welcome.

Alternative interior decorator
If you are a human being, then i) I’m sorry for your luck, and ii) chances are you keep all your possessions inside cupboards/drawers or on tables. O ye of little imagination! We humans are bound by mental constraints revolving around things like “order” and “arrangement”, but unlike us, the cat is not afraid to think outside the box. “What would everything look like if it was on the floor?” the cat wonders, before promptly throwing everything on the ground. Because changing the way the room looks has a positive impact on the mood, of course. Sure you may not be very pleased that your porcelain doll has parted ways with its head and your favourite coffee mug is now in pieces, but that’s just a small price to pay in order to enjoy the cat’s creative decorating skills.

Kitty in a tree

Nature documentary participant
The majestic cat moves with impeccable grace. Ain’t she a beauty! Suddenly, she sees a sparrow in the distance. She slowly, stealthily moves towards the unsuspecting bird. Crikey! She jumps at her prey, lunging towards the sparrow … and promptly smacks straight into the window between her and the bird that she had failed to take into account!
Cats are funny.

Comedian
See: nature documentary participant.

Gardener
Digging? Check!
Grass pruning? Check!
Applying fertilizer? Check!

Jolly performing a balancing act

Gymnast
The cat is an acrobat and the world is her circus. The consummate entertainer, the feline gymnast will swing from trees, climb to vertigo-inducing heights, make astounding jumps, and (cat)walk on impossibly thin beams, all in a noble attempt to keep us humans amused.

Financial advisor
The cat keeps meowing. I think she’s saying she wants something to play with. I should get her some toys. ($10)
Aww, doesn’t the cat look cold? Time to buy her a little cat house. ($15)
Yikes! The cat is coughing. I should take her to the vet ($50)
Oh no, we’re almost out of dry cat food. Must get some more. ($25)
Almost forgot, also need to get the wet cat food. ($25)
Might as well pick up some treats while I’m at it. ($10)
Doesn’t the cat seem like she could use some…
Wait, why am I suddenly broke?!

Motivational meower
Yes, you better not lose your job or the cat is going to have you for dinner. Work harder, human! The cat needs those fancy yumyums!

Alarm clock
The cat is nature’s alarm clock, guaranteed to wake you up in the morning. And by morning I obviously mean the middle of the night at a completely random time of her choosing. The cat knows that spontaneity makes life more exciting. Dependable digital alarm clocks that wake you up at a time of your choosing – where’s the fun in that?

Paradox generator
Just ask Schrödinger.

Lee proving that chairs are redundant

Innovator
Humans invented chairs.
Cats discovered that humans are idiots who come up with redundant inventions, because if people had the slightest common sense, they would’ve figured out that just about everything can be used as a chair.
Cats are clearly smarter than humans.

Muse
The cat has been the muse for many artists, writers, and filmmakers, dutifully inspiring them to produce some iconic works that would have simply been inconceivable without the feline.
Just think about it.
Would people have flocked to the cinemas to watch That Darn Hyena? I think not.
What would have become of Puss in Boots? Dog in Clogs just doesn’t have the same ring to it, does it?
The Cat in the Hat simply wouldn’t have worked without our furry friend, because The Dolphin in the Beret doesn’t even rhyme!
And Lewis Caroll would’ve been in a real pickle if it weren’t for the cat. The Cheshire Carp? Cheshire Caribou? Cheshire Cassowary? Cheshire Cormorant? Cheshire Chamois?! That’s just madness, I tell you, madness!

Uggy striking a very elegant pose

Model
Aware of its natural beauty, the cat is always gracefully catwalking and striking a pose to give you a chance to capture its gorgeousness in photos, which is a good thing because otherwise you wouldn’t know what to do with your smartphone camera.

Internet content provider
As we all know, the Internet was invented so that we could share cat photos and videos with each other. If the cat were to suddenly disappear, the World Wide Web would turn into a barren, desolate wasteland, with tumbleweed blowing down its fake news streets filled with depression and despair. But that will never happen, not on Lil Bub, Maru, Colonel Meow, Venus, and Tardar Sauce’s watch!

Jolly, always there to help when I'm working

Bookmark
The cat makes a very effective bookmark. When you’re reading something, there’s a very high chance the cat will sit on it. WHILE you’re trying to read it.
Also quite effective as a paperweight.
Come to think of it, the cat is not just a bookmark and paperweight but, in fact, a full personal assistant, personally assisting you no matter what you’re working on by helpfully sitting on whatever it is you’re working on. Always so helpful.

Lucky the brave explorer

Explorer
Marco Polo, Vasco da Gama, Christopher Columbus, Neil Armstrong, and, of course, our good friend felis catus – some of the world’s greatest explorers who have boldly partaken in brave and daring expeditions all in the name of discovery.

Food critic
That thing you just spent an hour chopping, shredding, mixing, boiling, cooling for the cat? Yuck. Discarded. Because your cooking sucks.
That thing the cat found lying on the ground that had been sitting out there, getting coated in dust for a week? Yum!

Christmas tree ornament

Aussie, my friend Anny's beloved cat, displaying how to be a Xmas tree ornament

Fur donor
Real fur is cruel and fake fur looks, well, fake. But don’t worry – the cat knows how weary you are of both fox and faux fur. That is why it very helpfully leaves a layer of fur on all your clothing. Now you too can be posh and trendy and proudly walk around with a real fur covered top or sweater, cruelty free and prepared for you with love by your very considerate feline friend. See? The cat gives and it gives…

Hitler impersonator

Hitler, pensively wishing I had named him Chaplin instead

Hail Kitler! Because we must remember the past so as not to repeat it in the future. Or something.

Friend filter
What kind of a person doesn’t like cats? Block, delete, buh bye!

Fitness trainer
Like we talked about earlier, you’re lazy. Don’t worry, still not judging you. But laziness isn’t good for your health. That’s why the cat is worried about you. And since he only wants what’s best for you, he has made it his life’s mission to keep you on your toes. No need to join the gym when you are owned by a feline, because the cat takes his responsibility as your fitness trainer very seriously. Yes, he has you running around doing chores for him all day, but that’s just because he wants you to get some exercise. And when he goes missing and makes you frantically search for him all over the neighbourhood, it’s because he wants you to get that extra cardio.

Social interaction initiator
Speaking of frantic neighbourhood searches…
In a tech obsessed world that is leaving many of us increasingly isolated, where our messed up priorities have ended up trapping us in the 24 hour news cycle… we somehow seem very pleased with ourselves for knowing what’s happening in a random place on this planet a million miles away, yet have no idea what’s going on with our own neighbours. The cat realizes that this needs to chance. That’s why she keeps coming up with different ways to get you out of the house and socialize with the people around you. The cat wants you to know your neighbours, and for your neighbours to know you too, so that the next time they see you, they can think “ugh, there’s that insane woman who keeps showing up at our house looking for one of her five million cats. Quickly hide before she sees us and comes over again and starts jabbering away about how great cats are. Oh no, too late…”

So yes, cats are awesome, and they know it. And it’s about time everyone else knew it too.

- By a crazy cat lady Sameen Amer

Us Magazine, The News - 17th November, 2017 *