Stray dog population decreases in Erbil due to shelter construction
He also stressed the need for shelters to be built in all cities of the Kurdistan Region.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - The mayor of the central district of Erbil, Nabaz Abdulhamid, has reported a decrease in the number of stray dogs in the city's neighborhoods thanks to the construction of dedicated shelters.
Abdulhamid stated that the process of collecting stray dogs is ongoing and is expected to take about a year to completely eliminate them from residential areas.
Nabaz Abdulhamid told Kurdistan24 that the number of stray dogs on the streets and neighborhoods has decreased compared to the past.
He noted that their numbers in the neighborhoods had previously been high, leading to many cases of stray dogs being recorded.
"In the early years, street dogs were killed by municipal teams, and Iraqi law still allows the killing of dogs. However, in the Kurdistan Region, we do not follow this practice; instead, we have built shelters to keep the animals away from humans," Abdulhamid explained.
The mayor highlighted that approximately 50 stray dogs are collected daily, but emphasized that the complete eradication of stray dogs from the neighborhoods will take several years.
He added that the municipalities are divided into six zones, and citizens can contact their local municipality or the mayor's office based on their location.
"The numbers are constantly open, and wherever there are stray dogs, teams will be assigned to collect them," Abdulhamid stated.
He also stressed the need for shelters to be built in all cities of the Kurdistan Region.
"So far, shelters have only been established in Erbil, but future efforts will be intensified to ensure that stray dogs are no longer a threat to citizens," he concluded.
