Lalitpur, July, 2017-
An interaction with Brick Kiln Owners and relevant stakeholders from Lalitpur was called on 7th July, 2017, where Animal Nepal talked about the work they have done so far in the field of working equines, animal welfare and most importantly introduced and discussed the Animal Welfare Directive; which states crucial do’s and don’ts and humane treatment for pack and traction animals; endorsed by the government. Positive suggestions were taken from the kiln owners and government representatives also put forward their points. All the suggestions will be taken and a plan made on how to move forward for the implementation of the Directive.
AN President Pramada Shah informed the owners and government officials regarding the Animal Welfare Directive and the responsibility that everyone has towards pack and traction animals. “The implementation of the directive will be a challenging task, however, if we unite, we can ensure that the first directive in the world for working animals is effective.” Shah appealed to all participants.
Executive Officer of Lalitpur Metropolitan City, Hari Prasad Dahal, promised to work on endorsing and advertising the Directive. Head of DSLO, Dr. Mogul Prasad Shah, said that there are check points for monitoring of animal transportation in the entry points of the valley; the Transport Standard 2064 requires a degree of animal welfare to be maintained during the transportation of live animals.
Brick Kiln Owner Deepshakti Bynjankar mentioned that animal husbandry is, of course, the priority and responsibility of the owner himself; thus, we should expect their support for the implementation of the Directive.
AN’s Executive Director, Uttam Kafle, explained the Animal Welfare Directive’s challenges and as well as its endless possibilities to improve the lives of owners and animals alike. He also touched upon Animal Nepal’s work related to working animals. According to Kafle, ” there at least 495 equines working in the brick kilns of Lalitpur and AN works to improve the lives of these equines in 14 of these brick kilns.”
AN would like to thank Mr. Hari Prasad Dahal (Executive Officer of LMC), Dr. Mogul Prasad Shah (Head of DSLO) and brick kiln owners of Lalitpur, for accepting our invitation, participating and providing us feedback on welfare issues of working animals. Proud to be part of the process for the welfare of animals.
