The local administration of Khanaqin district of Diyala province has no plans to collect the stray dogs in the streets of the city, which cause one injury every three days.
According to the local doctors, most of the stray dogs carry various viruses and dangerous to human health, along with the fear of attacking and injuring citizens.
Majida Abdullah, a resident of Arkawazi neighborhood in Khanaqin, witnessed a number of dogs attacking a small child in front of her house in recent weeks.
"Several dogs went to him and attacked him. One of them bit him and injured him. The child screamed and turned yellowish in fear.”
“There are days when 10 to 12 dogs are together in the street. I wanted to go to the doctor that day. I saw 12 dogs standing on our street so returned home. We are afraid to go out during the day and we cannot sleep at night because of their voices.”
The dogs are breeding rapidly and their numbers are increasing. Some people in the district feed them and feel sorry for them.
There are no official statistics on the number of stray dogs, but the last time the government treated them with lethal drugs or killed them was in 2019.
Since then, the local government banned the killing of dogs, it has not taken any steps to find other ways to keep them out of the city.
According to statistics provided to KirkukNow, 67 cases of stray dog bites have been reported to the hospital in the first six months of this year.
Dr. Shuan Shakir, director of Khanaqin hospital, told KirkukNow that the spread of stray dogs in the bazaar, streets and neighborhoods of the city and parks should be stopped and kept away.
“The virus is communicable to humans. This month alone, at least 11 people have been hospitalized.”
He advised citizens to go to the hospital immediately in case of dog bites, to receive injections and treatment.
"It is not clear whether the dog carries the virus or not, or has rheumatic diseases or what, so it is better to go to the doctor Dogs always have wet saliva in their mouths and tongues, and the virus lives in their saliva and has the risk of forming watery cysts that can be formed in humans through that saliva. It causes watery cyst disease.”
Mohammed Anwar, a resident of the district, has had a deep wound on his leg for two months. Doctors said he may have been in contact with a dog.
“I visited four doctors and hospitals. They said the disease can be transmitted from dogs, mice and chickens. I received 25 injections during those two months. There are many stray dogs in their street and they stay and lie on the sidewalks and parks.”
The increase in stray dogs in Khanaqin came after the killing and medication of stray dogs was stopped under pressure from civil society activists and animal rights defenders. But no alternative treatment was given.
"Slaughtering stray dogs is not the solution. They are animals and have the right to life. The best solution is to open a special shelter for them outside the city," Amina Ibrahim, an environmental activist in Khanaqin, told KirkukNow.
"If the government allocates land, I'm willing to take food from restaurants and homes to them, but it's better to sterilize the dogs so they don't give birth."
The phenomenon of dogs seen on the streets has turned popular following Covid 19 pandemic early 2020 which led to curfew, leaving no choice for the dogs excepting heading to towns and center of cities in search for food.
Soran Ali, director of Khanaqin municipality, stressed that they have no plan to solve the spread of stray dogs.
"The campaign to destroy dogs has been stopped for seven years and it is no longer in our power and it has become the work of the veterinary office.”
"We used to shoot them with guns or poison them, but then it was decided not to kill stray dogs anymore," he said.
Maher Hadi, deputy veterinary director of Khanaqin, told KirkukNow that they have not had any campaign to destroy stray dogs since 2019, because they need the mayor’s decision.
"Most dogs carry viruses and diseases, and we are calling for a solution.
According to the 2013 Animal Health Law, a committee must be formed in each Iraqi province with the assistance of security forces to eradicate stray dogs.
