metro
PROF. Sanusi Mohammed, the National President, Animal Welfare Society of Nigeria (AWSON) has raised concern over increasing cruelty against animals in the country.
Mohammed raised the concern while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gombe on Friday.
He said that proper animal welfare would help improve animal health in the country, adding that the welfare and protection of animals in Nigeria needed to be given urgent attention.
According to him, if you see the way animals are handled, especially during transportation, it’s very pathetic.
“Animal are mishandled during transportation, at the abattoir and even at farms, so the level of cruelty against animals is very high,’’ he said.
He attributed the high cases of animal cruelty in the country to lack of awareness and lack of human feelings to animals.
“Some of the people that handle these animals may not know that animals have feelings as they do. Animals feel pains and can even recognise their owners and they know who loves them and those who treats them badly.
“So we must consider their feelings while handling them,’’ he appealed.
Mohammed, who is a lecturer at the Department of Animal Production, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Bauchi, noted that though not too high, there were cases of domestic violence against animals, especially through starvation.
“If you keep an animal you don’t feed very well, you are violating its right because feeding is the basic right of animals.
“If you are to keep animals, you must protect their rights from hunger, theft, allowing it to perform its natural activities and social behaviours.
“Many do not know these rights but those who keep dogs, cats and horses do take care of them as against the cruelty that food animals face during transportation and at abattoirs.’’
Mohammed therefore advocated for increased public campaign and awareness to change the level of cruelty to animals and enforcement of the laws protecting animals.
He said that this would ensure that perpetrators of cruelty against animals were punished.
The animal welfare advocate said cruelty against animals was a crime, adding that there were laws in that regard and implementation of such laws by relevant authorities would commence.
He disclosed that the Federal Government had made good move towards the protection and welfare of animals in the country.
“In 2021, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development had enacted a law known as Animal Welfare and Protection Regulation, Veterinary domain, this is a comprehensive document on animal welfare in the country.
“In 2022, the National Animal Council was formed and inaugurated by the minister of Agriculture, Dr Mohammad Mahmood-Abubakar and all these are geared towards improvement of animal welfare and protection,’’ he said.
He commended the Federal Government for coming up with such laws to protect animals against all forms of cruelty, adding that it would help improve animal health across the country.
On his association’s effort at improving animal welfare, Muhammed said it had embarked on knowledge enhancement and awareness as well as training of volunteers in Bauchi which would be extended to other states.
“We are currently targeting students, veterinarians, stakeholders in livestock sector and animal transportation to partner with us and we are also working to make animal welfare integrated into the curriculum of tertiary institutions.’’ (NAN)
A.I
Tags: Animal Welfare Society of Nigeria Dr Mohammad Mahmood-Abubakar Prof Sanusi Mohammed
