Dr. Alaa El-Din Mortada, a member of animal welfare societies, warned of the worsening stray dog crisis in Egypt, stressing that the phenomenon has reached unprecedented levels in the absence of accurate statistics, despite estimates that indicate the presence of between 20 and 40 million street dogs nationwide.
During his interview with the Last Word program on ON channel, Mortada explained that the number of licensed dogs between 2021 and 2024 did not exceed only 276 thousand, a number that he said does not reflect reality, compared to the large spread of dogs on the streets. He added that the Ministry of Agriculture estimated the “environmental balance” at only between 5 and 6 million dogs, while the current numbers exceed this limit many times over, as a result of the absence of effective communication and reporting mechanisms, in addition to the cessation of the export of dogs abroad during the past years.
Murtada pointed out that the United States provides a clear model in managing the stray dog file. They are collected from the streets and placed in designated centers before being offered for adoption. If they are not adopted within a year, euthanasia is resorted to to prevent excessive reproduction or threats to citizens.
A member of animal welfare societies confirmed that sterilization is one of the main solutions to reduce the number of stray dogs, but it is not widely applicable at the present time, due to the high cost and the lack of qualified veterinary personnel, as the number of veterinarians working in the Authority does not exceed only about 6 thousand doctors.
