ACF calls on restaurants to follow example set by Karachi's Okra and be kind to stray dogs

There are two types of people who call the ACF for help, according to the animal welfare organisation. On one side there are people who complain to the CBC about a "vicious" puppy and then there are people like Roma Qinto, a worker at Karachi restaurant Okra, who asked them to vaccinate and neuter the stray dogs she had been taking care of.

Touched by her gesture, the ACF called on other restaurants to follow Okra's example. The ACF took to Instagram to post about their encounter and talked about the "ridiculous complaints" people make. "They simply don’t like the way the dog looks and don’t like to see dogs on the street so they call CBC blatantly lying that the dogs are aggressive and have bitten people."

They shared a video of the puppy sitting docilely in the mud. "Are you ready to see the vicious, nasty dogs of Karachi?" they started the caption and attached videos of the sweetest puppy who was shivering in the arms of a team member when they went to 'capture' him. "See for yourself in the video as you swipe right and get ready to melt at the cuteness of the ‘aggressive’ dog."

The video did all the talking where the matter of the "dangerous" dog was concerned. "And because animals don’t speak our language, they can’t defend themselves, and it makes us furious that hundreds of thousands of dogs have been killed so far based on nothing," the organisation said, expressing their frustration over the culling of innocent animals.

"But then, to lessen our fury, and yours, we are sharing some wonderful news also," they wrote. "One of the finest restaurants in the country Okra takes care of the stray dogs around their restaurant. Roma Qinto, from Okra, called us to vaccinate and neuter the dogs and their wagging tails are a testament to how well they are taken care of!"

Qinto was seen in the video walking towards the camera with one puppy in her hands and a whole pack surrounding her, trying to get her attention and following her. "I just wish that everybody could get educated about animals, not only dogs but also cats and other animals. So if we cannot feed them, at least we don't hurt them," she said.

Actor Yashma Gill shared the post on her Instagram Story saying, "So much respect for Okra!"

The ACF asked its audience to imagine if, instead of wasting leftovers, all restaurants followed Okra’s example and "fed scraps, leftovers, bones, not fit for human consumption, to the animals in their area." It would be costless, save food and fill some empty stomachs simultaneously. "Imagine how many lives they would save. And ACF would go by to vaccinate, neuter and collar all the dogs!"

The animal rescue foundation said they're "bored" of brands and organisations constantly just trying to make money by pushing status, power, luxuries as something cool. "Do you know what’s actually cool and eye-catching from a marketing perspective? Kindness."

Kindness, the organisation said, goes viral and has a ripple effect. It will actually "set your brand apart. Without even trying or knowing it, we bet Okra has won all your hearts! They’ve won ours for sure!"

We can undoubtedly say they have! Kindness always has that effect on people but when it's intended for someone who's voiceless and helpless, it seems to pierce the heart of any observer. Well done Okra! We hope to see other restaurants following their lead. Individuals can also help animals by ensuring their leftover food goes to strays in their neighbourhood rather than in the trashcan.