Rummaging Over Waste Dump In Peshawar, Ears, Tail Chopped Stray Dog Finds Home In London

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th Apr, 2023 ) :Lying in the mid of a garbage dump, a brown and white color puppy of around one month was groaning in pain because of mutilated ears and tail that were chopped by animal dealers to increase the selling price of the canine.

The pain-filled moaning of the baby dog attracted the attention of a young passerby in Gulbahar area of Peshawar who on search found the puppy in very miserable condition due to bleeding from chopped ears and tail.

Manzar, who runs a welfare organization in the name of Pukhar, moved over the heart-breaking condition of the timid puppy and decided to do something for providing relief from extreme pain and distress to the little soul.

He contacted Zeba Masood, a US national with roots in Peshawar and founder of Lucky Animal Protection Shelter (LAPS), the only sanctuary for maltreated, beaten, injured and starving stray dogs in provincial metropolis of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Over listening pitiful condition of the pup, Zeba forthwith expressed her consent for adoption and asked Manzar to bring the victim of cruelty to her shelter home.

"The puppy was shifted to LAPS around an year earlier and provided necessary treatment for healing of wounds and relieving of pain," informs Javed, husband of Zeba Masood who helps his spouse in care of dogs taking shelter at LAPS.

Soon after getting treatment and recovering from the trauma, ear and tail sliced puppy started showing affection towards his caretakers including Zeba, Javed recalls.

Like other members of the shelter home, the puppy got the identity of `Rox' and became a favorite of Zeba because of being a victim of a very cruel practice, Javed told APP.

It merits a mention here that some animal dealers in Peshawar especially in Changar Abad locality near Gulbahar area are involved in cruel practice of ear cropping and tail docking to present the puppy, mostly of stray dogs, as Kochi breed of Afghanistan which has good demand in market due to its aggressive behavior and better performance in dog fighting.

Some of the puppies which develop infections due to lack of proper treatment after operation or are not being sold and became a liability for sellers, are thrown into drainage canal or waste dump for dying.

The pictures of Rox since its arrival in injured condition at LAPS were being uploaded on social media for apprising followers about the activities being taken up for help of stray dogs and also to spread message regarding the ongoing cruel practice of ear cropping and tail docking of dogs, Javed told APP.

Our followers in thousands of numbers expressed their views about the pathetic condition of Rox and positive gesture of Manzar and Zeba in protecting of the dog, he went on to say.

A few months earlier, Javed continued, they were being approached by a family from London expressing their desire of adopting Rox as their pet animal.

"The offer of Rox adoption surprised us a lot because it reflected true love for animals," Javed shared his inner feelings.

To our experience people like those animals which have good look or have pedigree of pure breed, but expressing love for a dog which is apparently looking ugly due to removal of ears and tail and is grown up in waste dumps, is reflection of true love for animals, Javed observed.

Such affection for animals is beyond phenomenal and a source of inspiration for all those who claims to be animal lovers or lobbyist for rights of animals, he remarked.

Zeba welcomed the offer and expressed willingness in handing over of Rox to those who wanted to adopt it in London.

The procedure for shifting of Rox from Peshawar to London started and most of the paper work has been completed, Javed informed.

He said the family also expressed willingness for paying of all the expense being made in shifting of Rox from Peshawar to London including paper work, medical certificates, vaccination and air travel fare.

Shifting of Rox to London from Peshawar is expected to take place in around a month period after which the dog will find a new home and true love, he hoped.

Javed said it is a second case that a dog of LAPS is being shifted from Peshawar to England. A couple of years earlier, a stray dog was adopted by someone in same country.

LAPS is presently providing shelter to around 275 stray dogs which were brought in poor conditions after being hit by cars, injured by people or in poor health especially due to skin disease which canine mostly contracts and are abandoned by owners.

The administration of LAPS not only provide food and shelter but also better medication through its team of veterinary doctors and a staff of around 14 members who perform duty round the clock in shifts and take care of the dogs.

It also needs to mention here that in the recent devastating floods of 2022, Zeba Masood and her husband Javed risked their own lives for safety of dogs at the shelter home which become vulnerable to inundation because of its location near embankment of Swat river.

The shelter became inundated in around eight feet deep water and both the couple arranged boats for rescue operation which continued for several days to ensure shifting of majority of the dogs to a safer location.