ISLAMABAD: Run by a 19-year-old student, Project Save Animals has rescued more than 700 animals since 2018.
It was his first animal rescue attempt, and though unsuccessful, the decision changed the teenager’s life and the fates of the hundreds of animals he has since saved.
Animal cruelty was instated as a punishable offense in Pakistan last year, but rescue workers have warned that fines alone fail to deter abuse, which is widespread in the country where protection laws are long outdated and welfare groups lack the resources to treat and shelter abandoned and neglected pets.
Registered as a charity group in Canada, Syed Hassan’s Project Save Animals has four members, including a Canadian national. Since 2018, they have rescued more than 700 animals and relocated them to safe homes.
“In June 2018, at the age of 16, I started this animal rescue work,” Hassan told Arab News, as he recalled his attempt to save the malnourished cat from Tollinton Market.
“We took her to veterinary doctors, but could not save her. That incident ignited the spark and I decided to rescue as many animals as I can.”
The group rescues abused animals, mainly cats and dogs, and puts them in foster care at homes in Lahore. They also run neutering and vaccination programs for strays, as well as awareness campaigns.
Most of their rescue animals have been adopted in Canada, as there is “a very low ratio of adoption of street or non-breed animals,” Hassan said.
“We have rescued more than 721 animals, and all were adopted and are living good lives in their new homes.”
The adoption process is closely supervised, he added. “We keep doing follow-ups with adopters to ensure these animals are properly looked after. We get weekly and then monthly updates about their well-being.”
The main challenge for now is the cost of travel, for which Project Save Animals resorts to crowdfunding. And when the project lacks funds, its members contribute themselves.
Aside from his rescue efforts, Hassan is a first-year student of business administration.
“We have to contribute a lot from our own pockets,” he said. “It costs a great deal to send an animal to Canada.”
FASTFACTS
•Run by a 19-year-old student, Project Save Animals has rescued more than 700 animals since 2018.
•Animal cruelty was instated as a punishable offense in Pakistan last year, but rescue workers say fines alone fail to deter abuse.
The organization charges an adoption fee of about $800, but transporting a dog to Canada costs more than $1,700.
Being registered in Canada, Hassan said that the group hopes they will be able to receive grants from the Canadian government in the near future to support their cause.
At home, his struggle still focuses on basic animal rights.
“We, the animal rescuers, urge the government to introduce laws that protect and improve the lives of these innocent beings,” he said.
“The government of Pakistan needs to take animal rights seriously and make laws that protect the weakest of our society.”
