LAHORE: On the report of the management of an animal shelter, police on Thursday arrested a woman allegedly involved in torturing and killing animals in her house in Defence area and later shifted her to a mental hospital.

Acting on the complaint filed with Assistant Superintendent of Police Syeda Shehrbano Naqvi, the police raided the house, arrested the suspect and rescued several animals, including rabbits, kittens, snakes and eagles.

As per police sources, a woman social media influencer posted videos on her Instagram account showing her killing the animals.

They say that the JFK Animal Rescue and Shelter, an organisation working for animal welfare, reported the matter to police and posted a statement on Instagram stating: “An extremely horrific situation [transpired] after an Instagram influencer was seen torturing and killing animals, including bunnies and cats [on her account]. @dejaylazawal is the profile that posted this gory content. We immediately reached out to ASP Shehrbano Naqvi and the DHA police reached the location and what was found inside was more disturbing than we imagined.”

It further states, “Drugs, cigarettes, dead bodies of animals and blood were all over. We don’t know why she did what she did, or was it some satanic rituals? Well, the police will investigate and let us know.”

The statement says that the woman involved in the gory act was present at her house and was laughing, while her father was trying to hide her. It says that what the woman did to the poor animals will not be ignored and forgotten. “So far, we do not know whether she’s an addict or a mental patient,” it adds.

JFK Animal Rescue and Shelter head Zofishan Anushay told Dawn that they saw the video on social media in which the woman was torturing the animals.

She apprehended that the woman might be doing some sort of ‘spiritual’ rites by killing the animals. She said they reported the matter to the police and rescued the animals.

ASP Naqvi told Dawn that all the pets found in the house were taken into custody and those injured were shifted to a veterinary hospital for treatment.

She said that the kittens and rabbits were handed over to the Police Animal Rescue Centre, while a snake and some eagles were given to the wildlife department.

She said a case was registered against the woman and she was shifted to a mental hospital.

“The woman was not stable and she had also escaped from a rehab,” she added.

She said the woman was living in the house on her own and her father and brother were not involved in this matter.

Published in Dawn, July 11th, 2025