Animal Welfare During Disasters in South Asia

Abstract

With many variants being discovered every day, COVID-19 pandemic is still raging around the globe. It has been a traumatic experience not only for humans but also for pets and homeless animals, the closest and the most dependent types of animals living in the vicinity of people. Many pets were abandoned and mistreated due to various reasons, and homeless animals continuously struggled to find food and water during the pandemic lockdown and other restrictions. Mistreatment and negligence toward pets and homeless animals are considered as crimes since they are protected within the national legislative framework in most of the countries. However, compared to the scope and rapid development on the legal measures for pets and homeless animals in developed countries, the South Asian nations are struggling to enforce the existing frameworks and adapt measures against new challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This research intends to explore the welfare issues encountered by pets and homeless animals in the South Asian region during the COVID-19 pandemic and the legal protection granted to them against such issues. Furthermore, it will investigate the mitigation, preparedness, and response steps that must be adapted in order to resolve any existing gaps and ambiguities by comparing such measures which are implemented in developed countries, with variables such as economic, social, and development progresses in mind. The suitable solutions will then be analyzed as to their applicability to the South Asian countries, and further recommendations for the future will be suggested.KeywordsPets and homeless animalsAnimal welfareAnimal crueltyPet griefCOVID-19 pandemic