Erbil authorities continue efforts to shelter stray dogs

ERBIL, October 25 — Environmental teams in Erbil are continuing a campaign to gather stray dogs from the streets and neighborhoods of the city. Since July last year, the campaign has sheltered 1,500 dogs, with campaign officials emphasizing that these dogs are particularly concentrated in six specific areas.

Najat Nadir, a member of the collection team at the Environmental Protection Department stated, “In recent times, we have been collecting between 50 to 60 stray dogs per day, which are then transported to the shelter by two teams located in central Erbil.”

Dr. Ziad Ahmed, the director of Erbil’s dog shelter, explained that veterinary teams at the shelter work on separating the dogs before they undergo spay and neuter procedures.

“The shelter is divided into two sections: the care section, which looks after the dogs after medical procedures, and the shelter section, where they are provided with bread and water for the rest of their lives,” Dr. Ahmed said.

The Erbil dog shelter covers an area of 50,000 square meters, and can accommodate up to 5,000 dogs.