Dog and cat lovers of all ages gathered at a pet show held at Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (SZABIST) on Saturday which saw the participation of unique breeds belonging to the two species.
The show amused the spectators and was arranged for raising awareness about better care of cats and dogs and provided people with knowhow regarding their personal hygiene.
The specially trained cats and dogs enthralled the guests with their variety of tricks and acts such as cat-walk, dog race and wall climbing.
The pets which participated in the show included breeds of cats such as, Australian Mist, Arabian Mau, German Rex, Persian Cats, an American Curl, while dog breeds included American Bulldog, German Shepherd, Australian Wolf dog, Teddy Roosevelt and Russian puppies.
Dr Faisal Khan, a pet expert while addressing the gathering said that pet lovers needed to strictly follow certain guidelines to ensure their safety and hygiene while keeping cats and dogs.
He said both cats and dogs carried dangerous germs which could affect the humans if the pets were not regularly vaccinated. Dr Faisal also cautioned that being scratched by a cat’s claw was as dangerous as being bitten by a dog.
The dog show was organized by students of Media and Communication Studies Department (M&SC) at SZABIST as part of their class project titled “Social Responsibility”.
A research conducted by the M&CS department had stressed that while pet lovers across the world kept dogs as friendly companions or as a loyal guard, the majority of people in Pakistan kept dogs for the sake of enjoying dog fights.
Pet experts present on the occasion showed disgust over holding dog fights, and demanded that the trend should be immediately stopped as it was violating wild life rights.
SZABIST Islamabad Campus Director Syed Asad Hussain while speaking on the occasion said that the event was organized for sending the message that people needed to ensure their own safety as well while handling pets.
