In Bangladesh, dogs often face poor treatment due to the majority Muslim population’s conservative views on keeping them as pets. It is common for people to find humor in kicking a stray dog that is resting or walking by. This negative attitude has led to the culling of stray dogs for many years. However, the Animal Welfare Act introduced in 2019 has ended the official killing of dogs. Despite this change, there is still a strong bias against dogs in society. For example, in the town of Ishwardi last year, a woman attracted attention when she was reported to have put puppies in a sack and drowned them in a pond due to her annoyance with stray dogs. This incident led to public outrage and authorities taking legal action against her.
Bangladesh has nearly 1.7 million dogs, with about 83% being strays who often suffer from hunger, malnutrition, injuries, or mistreatment by people. A group of animal lovers is now working to stop the cruel treatment of these stray animals and to advocate for their rights. In the town of Sarail, located around 95 kilometers (60 miles) northeast of Dhaka, there is a special effort to save a dog breed known as the Sarail hound. The community takes pride in this breed and is putting in efforts to prevent it from disappearing. Some pet lovers, including those from other countries, visit Sarail seeking to adopt a puppy, and they are willing to pay as much as 60,000 takas (about $500) for one. This article was originally published on Mongabay.
What do you think about the treatment of dogs in Bangladesh?
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Source: Mongabay Animals, by Abu Siddique