The Failure of Policy and Ethics in Pakistan's Stray Dog Management: A Call for Evidence-Based CNVR

Abstract

Pakistan’s large free-roaming dog population presents significant public health, ethical, and legal challenges. Millions of stray dogs inhabit the country, contributing to frequent dog bites and thousands of rabies-related deaths annually. In response, local authorities often rely on mass culling as a population-control strategy. However, evidence suggests that culling has failed to effectively reduce dog populations or eliminate the risk of rabies transmission. Moreover, such practices raise serious concerns regarding animal cruelty, outdated legal frameworks, and the absence of effective regulatory oversight. Public killing campaigns may also generate psychosocial harm by normalizing violence, causing public distress, and undermining social compassion toward communities and animals alike. This commentary advocates for humane, science-based alternatives, particularly Catch–Neuter–Vaccinate–Return (CNVR) programs, which involve capturing stray dogs, sterilizing and vaccinating them, and subsequently returning them to their original environments. Legislative reform, strengthened public education, sustained vaccination initiatives, and improved infrastructure, alongside CNVR implementation, offer a practical and sustainable pathway for rabies control and dog population management. Collectively, these measures can help protect both public health and animal welfare in Pakistan.