Women Empower Wednesday: The Animal Activist Ayesha Chundrigarh!
There might be a disagreement as to whether non-human animals have rights, and what is meant by animal rights. Many people think that animals, in general, do not need rights to deserve protection; a good moral case can be made for treating them well and considering their interests that don’t involve accepting animal rights. Rights are much more important than interests because it imposes a burden on others that the other parties must accept.
A normal person with a sane approach and a clear mind will always treat everyone equally and by equally it means with the kinder approach whether he is a human or an animal.
Animal Rights Around the World
It is really painful to see an animal being mistreated with different kinds of abuses and different countries have their own different ways to deal with this abuse. We have been seeing many countries taking a strict stance when it comes to the rights of animals. Austria and Switzerland top the list of the having strict animal welfare laws Austrian Animal Welfare Act of 2004 suggests that the protection and well being of animals should be held to a value that is equal to humankind. European countries, including Germany, Netherlands, Italy, the UK have one of the harshest bans for pet owners for cropping their dogs’ ears or tails. The violators are subjected to fines of $2,420 and in extreme cases. $18,160 with the seizing of their animals. The act also has forced their farmers to uncage their chicken and ensure that every animal including puppies and kittens no longer swelter in pet shop windows.
Animal Rights in Pakistan
Sadly in Pakistan despite having a detailed section dedicated to the animal’s rights’ in the law book. It still lacks much more. The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act of 1980 states that if any person overdrives, beats, or otherwise treats any animal so as to subject it to unnecessary pain or suffering, or position as to subject it to unnecessary pain or suffering, or make the animal suffer pain by reason of mutilation, starvation, thirst, overcrowding or other ill-treatment shall be punished, in the case of a first offense, with fine which may extend to fifty rupees, or with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one month and, in the case of a second or subsequent offense committed within three years of the previous offense, with fine which may extend to one hundred rupees, or with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months, or with both.
The dilemma of this law is the fine which is set for fifty to a hundred rupees. That gives many of the people the official permission to hurt the street animal even more!
But among the people who intend to hurt those beings, someone is taking up the charge to save them, despite facing immense challenges and everyday struggle. She is shining bright and giving animals the love and life they deserve, she is Ayesha Chundrigarh!
Ayesha Chundrigarh
Being an entrepreneur and a journalist with a degree in English Literature and Cinema Studies from the NYU, her love for animals is evident. She is the founder of the Ayesha Chundrigar Foundation.
ACF – The Organization
ACF Animal Rescue is a non-profit rescue organization registered in 2013 under the Societies Registration Act of 1860 of Pakistan. The organization is based in Karachi, Pakistan since then. ACF also began a rescue ambulance service and have an active rescue helpline number for people to report cases of abuse, neglect, cruelty, and abandonment.
In 2020, the shelter now has 500 animals of all kinds and is Pakistan’s first animal shelter for street and homeless dogs, donkeys, cats, and different animals in Pakistan. ACF consists of seven core members as well as many volunteers. Currently, 6042 animals got rescued under the banner, 459 animals got vaccinated against Rabies and 56 animals got neutered and spayed.
ACF Projects
Ayesha proudly runs three projects under her organization that includes
Eco-Friendly Dog Leash
In 2018, ACF also won the WWF Green Innovation Challenge for creating Pakistan’s first handmade dog leashes out of 100% ghost net, ACF partnered with World Wide Fund, WWF in introducing this innovative project.
The foundation funded the project with seed money to engage fishermen to extract wasted ghost net from the oceans that are then crafted into beautiful leashes by engaging the local community women.
Humane Harness Program
ACF also holds equine medical camps, where their team goes out to different donkey populated areas of Karachi to provide medical treatment, food, and water to donkeys for free, to educate the owner on donkey behavior and its handling. They also explain to the owners how treating their animals better will help them in the long run as a donkey is a donkey owner’s sole source of income.
Project Empathy
Empathic education is something ACF emphasizes greatly. They are working not just on animals but humans – specifically kids, recovering from drug addiction. The sanctuary provides a holistic, non-judgemental setting for both animals and children to heal from trauma. It is also the perfect platform for all children to learn true empathy and kindness.
Ayesha Chundrigarh shares, “The world belongs to all of us. To human and non-human animals. When we start perceiving the world as shared reality, the world will start to become a better place for everyone. ACF’s goal is to show via example the truest form of empathy-to does for those who can never do anything for you in return. To help those whose shoes you will never be in. And to care for anybody and everybody that ever needs help, no matter who they are.”
Organizations in Pakistan are running with a vision of assisting and empowering the neglected communities. And this will run on a length if people come with a kinder approach not just for humans but for animals as well.
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