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Actor Zhalay Sarhadi is using her social media account to highlight an issue many Pakistanis witness daily but often feel helpless about — the lack of emergency response systems for injured and stray animals.

Taking to her Instagram stories, Sarhadi wrote that “there needs to be an animal welfare response team set up for each city”, noting how often road accidents leave animals suffering on the streets without immediate help.

She pointed out that while animal welfare groups and rescues do their best, they can only operate within the limits of the donations they receive. “Animal welfares and rescues can only do as much as the money they have donated to them,” she said, highlighting the resource gap many non-profits face.

The actor also highlighted the uncertainty over which government department should be held accountable, adding that “some of them are engaged in dog culling, which is against what I am stating here”.

Sarhadi invited her followers to reach out with suggestions, writing, “If anyone has an answer or solution, please DM. #saveanimals.”

In Pakistan, stray animals are often targeted with mass culling and poisoning, including by ‘concerned’ neighbours and systemically by various city departments under the guise of “keeping the streets safe for pedestrians”.

We desperately need a structured, humane system for animal rescue and welfare, one that prioritises compassion and accountability over neglect and culling.