Kurdistan
A group of stray dogs are seen on an Erbil residential street. File photo: Bilind T. Abdullah/Rudaw
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Doctors are sounding the alarm about the risks from stray dogs after nine people were taken to an Erbil hospital on Thursday with dog bites. The large number of stray dogs in Kurdistan Region cities is a frequent concern and efforts to control the population have been criticized by animal rights organizations.
“Nine people were admitted to our hospital today alone with stray dog bites. Previously, the number of cases was two to three daily, but today the number tripled,” Dr. Shvan Kazim of the Rozhawa Emergency Hospital-Erbil told Rudaw.
“This is a big problem and needs to be treated, especially if there are many attacks, the risk of rabies will be high,” said Kazim.
Photos shared by the hospital on Facebook show an injured father and son. The father has a deep gash to his throat. The hospital warns that of the potential for a “disaster” if nothing is done to address the problem.
Stray dogs are often considered a menace and public health risk.
The Green Party of Kurdistan estimates there are more than 300,000 stray dogs in the Kurdistan Region. “Stray dogs have spread to all provinces and cities of the Kurdistan Region, causing daily problems for citizens and sometimes people face death,” party leader Mlko Baziani said in a press conference on Thursday.
He said they submitted a 1.2 billion dinar plan to the government that would solve the problem in three months, “but unfortunately the government did not pay attention.”
Over the years, various cities have tried different tactics to address the problem. In the Shingal area, officials and veterinarians poisoned hundreds of dogs in 2021. Later that same year, Kirkuk tackled the problem with guns - shooting dogs dead. Several shelters exist, but last year dozens died when a virus swept through a Sulaimani centre.
Animal rights advocates recommend dogs be captured, neutered, and released as the most humane way of controlling the population.
“Nine people were admitted to our hospital today alone with stray dog bites. Previously, the number of cases was two to three daily, but today the number tripled,” Dr. Shvan Kazim of the Rozhawa Emergency Hospital-Erbil told Rudaw.
“This is a big problem and needs to be treated, especially if there are many attacks, the risk of rabies will be high,” said Kazim.
Photos shared by the hospital on Facebook show an injured father and son. The father has a deep gash to his throat. The hospital warns that of the potential for a “disaster” if nothing is done to address the problem.
Stray dogs are often considered a menace and public health risk.
The Green Party of Kurdistan estimates there are more than 300,000 stray dogs in the Kurdistan Region. “Stray dogs have spread to all provinces and cities of the Kurdistan Region, causing daily problems for citizens and sometimes people face death,” party leader Mlko Baziani said in a press conference on Thursday.
He said they submitted a 1.2 billion dinar plan to the government that would solve the problem in three months, “but unfortunately the government did not pay attention.”
Over the years, various cities have tried different tactics to address the problem. In the Shingal area, officials and veterinarians poisoned hundreds of dogs in 2021. Later that same year, Kirkuk tackled the problem with guns - shooting dogs dead. Several shelters exist, but last year dozens died when a virus swept through a Sulaimani centre.
Animal rights advocates recommend dogs be captured, neutered, and released as the most humane way of controlling the population.
Comments
Rudaw moderates all comments submitted on our website. We welcome comments which are relevant to the article and encourage further discussion about the issues that matter to you. We also welcome constructive criticism about Rudaw.
To be approved for publication, however, your comments must meet our community guidelines.
We will not tolerate the following: profanity, threats, personal attacks, vulgarity, abuse (such as sexism, racism, homophobia or xenophobia), or commercial or personal promotion.
Comments that do not meet our guidelines will be rejected. Comments are not edited – they are either approved or rejected.
Post a comment