This is Not Sport. This is Cruel. And Illegal.

Posted on February 28, 2011
Filed Under >Adil Najam, Society
34 Comments
Total Views: 82345

Adil Najam

The pictures that follow are graphic and horrific. So, please do not scroll any further if you think you cannot handle them.

These are pictures of a dog fight, taken yesterday outside the village of Lora in Abbottabad District. But such fights happen in many places in Pakistan. Not every day, but often enough for all of us to be incensed, to be disgusted, and to be angry about.

There are some who consider this to be a sport. They are wrong. Very very wrong. This is not sport. This is cruelty. This is inhuman. This is also illegal.

The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act of 1890 is clear on this point: Section 3(a) reads as follows: “if any person overdrives, beats, or otherwise treats any animal so as to subject it to unnecessary pain or suffering, he shall be punished, in the case of a first offence, with fine… or with imprisonment. .. or with both.”

But – think about it – do we really need a law to recognize that what is happening in these pictures is just wrong. Very very wrong. Cruel. And illegal.

There are others who will tell us that this happens elsewhere too, including other places where it is technically illegal. In Latin America, in Russia, in Central Asia, and even in the United States. That is true. But that makes this what we see in these pictures (or what happens in those countries) no less wrong. No less cruel. No less inhuman. No less disgusting.

34 responses to “This is Not Sport. This is Cruel. And Illegal.”

  1. Mike Ebertz says:

    It is my opinion that these kinds of things, dog-fighting, prostitution, gambling, though they are not good things, are not what people should concentrate on. What should be dealt with is the inequality of women. When women have exactly the same rights as men, tackle these smaller things.

  2. Raees Ahmed says:

    What about Bull Fighting ????????
    That is called sports because it is an Eurpean Nations Entertainment.

  3. Naan Haleem says:

    A simple question:

    Given the continuous bloodshed in the form of terrorism and drone attacks, how could you expect Pakistanis to think compassionately towards animals?

    I mean its a matter of mindset. We are so much accustomed to almost daily news of bloodshed that animal cruelty is not even categorized as an issue. Its like cart in front of horse dilemma to expect rational and sensible civic life from Pakistanis without releasing them from WAR OF TERROR.

  4. Anwer says:

    http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2056 506,00.html

    In Afghanistan, Dogfighting Is a Popular Weekend Entertainment

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