Erbil rounds up 1,600 stray dogs for mass vaccination

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Local authorities in the Kurdistan Region’s capital Erbil have so far rounded up 1,600 stray dogs and put them in a shelter for an expected mass vaccination campaign.

The rounding up has begun in recent months as several cases of dog bites in the capital were reported by citizens.

The canines have been placed in a shelter that had been built by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), according to Erbil Mayor Nabaz Abdul Hameed, speaking to Kurdistan 24 on Thursday in an interview.

The dogs will be neutered and vaccinated, according to the official.

The shelter costs 450 million dinars, and it is located on 20 acres of land—15 kilometers from Erbil's center.

Unofficial figures show there are more than 21,000 stray dogs in Erbil Province. More than 300 cases of attacks by stray dogs have been registered in the past four months in the province.

The largest number of stray dogs in Erbil Province is in the Daratu sub-district.