Alarm as stray dog numbers triple in the past three years

There are more than 25,000 strays dogs in the Kingdom, which is three times the number when compared to the situation three years ago. This was revealed by official statistics released by the Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning. The statistics say that the stray number can vary between 25,000 and 30,000.

The situation has raised an alarm with municipal councilors frequently seeking a solution to end the stray menace. Teams deployed by the municipalities have begun catching stray dogs and transporting them to Askar, where they are released in open fields. Efforts were also made in recent months to neuter the stray dogs, sources said.  

They added that a private veterinary clinic was assigned for the Catch, Neuter and Release (CNR) Programme.

According to the latest statistics, the number of dogs caught since the beginning of the campaign until February was 1,099. Maximum dogs were caught from the Capital Governorate (424), followed by Northern Governorate (315), Southern Governorate (214), and Muharraq Governorate (198). The move has been very well received and appreciated by animal rights activists across the Kingdom, who have been campaigning for a solution to the crisis.

Various calls were made in the past by the activists to set up a government-sponsored Catch Neuter and Release (CNR) Programme and to establish a shelter for strays. The distemper outbreak of last year had intensified calls to invest efforts on saving strays. An animal welfare group noted that more than 60 dogs died after the outbreak.