Sulaymaniyah woman runs private dog rescue amid stray crisis

SULAYMANIYAH — On the outskirts of Sulaymaniyah, hidden from local authorities, Jihan Othman has devoted her life to rescuing and caring for stray dogs. At a private farm she bought for this purpose, she feeds and treats dozens of animals, many of them injured or abused.

Jihan agreed to take 964media to the farm only after repeated requests, insisting the location remain undisclosed. “I fear the municipality will find out and take the dogs to the official shelter, which I call the slaughterhouse and the prison,” she said.

Her commitment has come at a personal cost. “For the sake of the dogs, I have left Sulaymaniyah behind,” she said. “I have distanced myself from my husband and children, and many times my children complain that I am not with them as I should be. But they understand my duty.”

Having raised dogs and other animals since childhood, Jihan now cares for strays she says were abused on the streets. “I feel happier with dogs than with people, with full respect,” she said. “Dogs for me mean a loving friend. They read our souls. They know when you do not fear them, when you love them and came to help them. They feel it immediately because they are highly sensitive.”

She often drives her Prado across the city and surrounding areas to deliver food. “The cost is high and I bear it,” she said. “I bought this farm for these souls, to save them, hoping people will follow my example and show compassion for these weak creatures.”

For Jihan, the work is both spiritual and humanitarian. “Dogs are loyal animals. Even the prophets who worked as shepherds all had dogs that lived with them and shared their lives. People in villages also keep them. Humans have always found dogs to be closer companions than any other animal,” she said.

Her vehicle has become familiar to many in Sulaymaniyah. “Many people praise what I do, and I say every good deed we do is never lost, especially with these voiceless creatures,” she said, citing a Quranic verse that teaches good deeds return to the one who does them, while bad deeds return to their doer.

Stray dogs, however, remain a growing public concern in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. Attacks and bites have led to deaths and injuries. On Sept. 16, Sulaymaniyah’s deputy director general of health, Dr. Hersh Salim, sustained minor injuries after being bitten near the provincial government building, according to his family. He later wrote on Facebook, “The real issue is that the relevant authorities are not controlling the growing number of stray dogs, even though I was attacked in a central area of the city, close to the governorate offices and under the watch of guards and staff.”

While official shelters exist, residents say the number of strays remains high in some areas and have continued to call for stronger containment efforts.

In response, Sulaymaniyah Municipality launched a one-week campaign on Sept. 20 to collect stray dogs. Officials said financial rewards would be offered to residents: 3,000 Iraqi dinars ($2.13) for each dog handed directly to the shelter, and 2,000 dinars ($1.42) for those who assist collection teams.