Erbil Shelter Ends Stray Dog Attacks in City Center
The director of Erbil's stray dog shelter says a coordinated daily collection campaign has fully brought the problem under control, with 26,000 dogs collected over three years.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - The director of Erbil's stray dog shelter says the process of collecting stray dogs from the center of Erbil is ongoing and has fully brought attacks on citizens under control.
Hassan Ismail, director of Erbil's stray dog shelter, told Kurdistan24 on Sunday, that two field teams work daily in the neighborhoods and streets of central Erbil to collect stray dogs. "Each team collects 20 dogs daily, bringing the total to 40 dogs a day, and five thousand dinars is paid to the teams for every dog collected," he said.
Addressing the shelter's conditions during the summer season, Ismail said that in coordination with a local organization, a number of shelters and a large water pool have been built to protect the dogs from heat waves. "That organization has changed the type of food given to the dogs and now provides healthy, suitable food daily. The shelter is currently operating at its best level of service," he said.
The shelter director highlighted the program's statistics, stating: "Over the course of three years, 26,000 stray dogs have been collected, and of that number, more than 11,000 have been released and returned outdoors after undergoing surgery."
Ismail also pointed to challenges facing the process, saying one of the main issues is a shortage of the necessary teams around Erbil. "There are 37 municipalities in the surrounding area, but only one team is available there. Also, the overlap of certain neighborhoods inside and around the city — such as Roshinbiri neighborhood, which falls under Erbil municipality, and Daratoo, which is on the outskirts — has made controlling dogs in those areas difficult," he said.
Ismail concluded by emphasizing that, thanks to this campaign, there are now no cases of stray dogs attacking citizens in central Erbil, and the situation is fully under control.
The stray dog collection process in Erbil began on Sept. 27, 2023. Figures show 4,767 dogs were collected in 2023, 7,383 in 2024, and 9,479 in 2025.
