Long before the development of settlements and societies where we now peacefully reside, animals could roam freely. With the introduction of new societies and towns, we encroached on their land and left no room for them. However, for every abandoned or tortured animal, there exists a hero who dedicates his or her life to saving them. One such hero is Ansar Gul.

Ms Gul, 37, has been working tirelessly for 18 years for the welfare of stray animals. Presently, she is living in a rented room with a small yard that she has turned into a shelter for stray and abandoned animals that do not have any other place to go.

Ansar dedicates her day and night to caring for injured and stray animals, providing them with necessary treatment and food. She has had her fair share of struggles throughout this journey, but her unwavering strength keeps her going.

“No one gives you a room on rent if you want to keep animals. This is an old place where I am residing. I feed almost 150 animals every day; I prepare food for animals and administer drips and injections when they need it because taking an animal to the vet and back and spending around Rs2,500 to Rs3,000 on every animal is tough,” she said while standing at the yard, located in the bustling streets near Rawalpindi’s congested Bagh Sardaran.

Her work consumes her day and leaves no space for any other activity in her schedule. All her finances, including the animals she takes care of, are borne by her family.

When Ms Gul began her journey, her family was not entirely supportive of the idea of dedicating all her day to tending to stray animals. However, her relentlessness eventually won them over. Not only do they help her, but they also play their part in supporting stray animals as they buy food for the animals living in their area and feed them.

Due to the constant disapproval of neighbours around her, Ansar had to leave her home and live in a rented place with her animals.

“They say that the animals in the streets have increased because of me, although the animals do no harm to them. I did not want any problems for my family, so I live at the shelter now,” she said.

Belonging to a middle-class family, Ms Gul never imagined carrying out this full-time job until she found a nursing cat in distress at her doorstep.

“I arranged some food for the nursing cat and started doing the same for other animals around me, and the rest is history,” she said.

“I do not get paid to do this, nor do I get much funding from people. I created an Instagram account by the name of ‘Silent Prayers’ some years ago so I could receive donations to take care of animals; however, I did not get significant recognition. I guess people only donate to shelters that have a face value or are prominent,” Ms Gul said, adding that the account is run by her sister.

Over the span of years, Ansar Gul has witnessed the general hatred for stray animals ingrained in the minds of people.

“Stray animals are considered filthy, and this has become more of a psychological issue than anything else. They are hated because it is considered unIslamic to keep dogs or even cats; however, I believe there is no room for hatred in Islam. It never teaches you intolerance, especially against living beings,” she said.

To combat these widespread negative beliefs, Ansar Gul thinks that spreading awareness is crucial and should be taught at the primary level in schools. As for the shelters, she believes that even hundreds of them are not enough.

“In Pakistan, the concept of donating to animal shelters is considered absurd. Those who want to donate should not give to a shelter like mine, as it does not help their cause. My shelter is located in the chicken market, not in a fancy place where people enjoy coming or clicking pictures. This is what the reality of this society is,” she said.

Ms Gul not only rescues and feeds the stray animals in her area, but assists stray animals wherever she goes. “To be so involved in something like this, one needs a lot of patience. Sometimes, I want to leave, but then I see these miserable animals, and I think to myself that there aren’t a lot of people working for them; I can’t quit,” Ansar Gul said, stressing that everyone had a responsibility towards stray animals.

She said: “Firstly, the government can pass laws to stop the mistreatment of animals, and instead of opening a shelter and employing salaried individuals who most likely will not do their job, they can collaborate with rescuers and shelters that have dedicated their lives to such things. People who are running shelters so selflessly have a number of ideas, but they do not have the kind of budget or power to execute those ideas.

“I also want everyone to know that dogs bark because that’s how they have been made, not because they want to attack you. I have seen men in the chicken market hitting dogs with batons; how can they be annoying you by merely existing?”

Ms Gul suggested that everyone could play a part by putting leftover food for stray dogs because that is why they come out at night. She mentioned that to control their population, there is a correct method, which is TNVR (Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate, and Return).

She suggested that the government could initiate projects by engaging with communities complaining about the increase in the population of dogs.

Ansar Gul, with an optimistic smile, mentioned how some people in the street, who could not tolerate animals, have turned animal lovers, and the same people now buy food for them and appreciate her efforts.

Published in Dawn, November 12th, 2023