Nepal lacks laws to protect against cruelty to animals

Sneha Shrestha, Founder of Sneha’s Care (an animal shelter) shares that animals in the street are dying of starvation, abuse, road accidents, and uncured diseases. “We can't just worship animals for one day and go back to normal days of seeing them suffering out in the street.”

It all started when her two dogs were killed and while going to the police, she found out there were no laws to do anything about it. “The police officers laughed when I went to complain about my dogs. That incident depressed me.”

That's when she took the initiative to open an animal shelter.

“That incident made me question the fact that my dogs weren't safe in my own house, what about street dogs and animals?” she shares. These days we do not only see street dogs but people abandon their pets who suffering from some illness or old age on the streets. “There should be punishment for those leaving vulnerable dogs out in the street,” she says.

Srijana Thakuri, founder of Shree’s Animal Rescue Shelter, says she did not plan to open a rescue center. She rescued a few dogs in her neighborhood and slowly, the numbers started to grow.

“I sold my house and bought land so that I could make a home for all these rescue animals,” she informs. She has 3 vet technicians, and a part-time doctor to take care of more than 200 rescue dogs.”

She shares, “There is a law where killing an animal gets punished for 3 months imprisonment and a Rest 5000 fine, but it's not strong enough. It barely gets implemented. Police refuse to register such cases.”

Meanwhile, Khageshwaar Sharma Bhattarai, trustee at the Himalayan Animal Rescue Trust, says, “Stray animals are not just a problem in cities. It's all over Nepal. And the government is not doing anything about it.”

He mentioned how cows have rights but when it comes to street animals, there are no strong laws to protect them from cruelty getting killed or abused. “Together with other NGOs we have sent a draft law to the government to protect animal rights, it was never heard,” he says.

Bhattarai, points out the biggest issue is rabies vaccinations and Nepal lacks in providing vaccinations which causes a lot of problems. “Programmes need to be conducted for vaccination of street dogs, not just for their survival but their rapidly growing population as well.”