ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Stray dogs are being killed on a large scale in Kirkuk in a campaign initiated by the mayor after four stray dogs killed a child.
On Saturday, nine-year-old Alan Ayman was attacked by a pack of four stray dogs while waiting outside his school to be picked up by his father. He was rushed to a hospital in Kirkuk but succumbed to his severe injuries hours later.
“It’s a shame for the government not to be able to kill some dogs to prevent sons of people from being eaten by them,” said Alan’s grandfather, Izzadin Ahmed. Alan was the tenth child to die from stray dog attacks in a year.
The campaign to kill stray dogs, initiated by the mayor’s office, began on Monday, with Kirkuk police targeting stray dogs street by street using shotguns.
The ruthless methods have drawn criticism from animal rights activists while receiving support from many frustrated residents.
"It's a good campaign but it has to continue, unlike the current situation in which they kill two dogs and walk away. It's not possible. They have to extend the campaign and eliminate them. We are totally harrased, indeed." said Luqman Taha, a Kirkuk resident.
Others, like Azad Taha, whose grandson was attacked by stray dogs two years ago, are vocal about their support despite ethical concerns.
The growing stray dog population in Kirkuk province is estimated at around 20,000, although no official figures are available.
Animal activists have condemned the violent approach, urging authorities to address the issue in line with animal rights standards. They advocate for relocating stray dogs to shelters rather than killing them.
However, Kirkuk has only one shelter for stray dogs, located just outside the city. The shelter, built on a small plot of land, lacks basic animal welfare standards.
“It is only symbolically a shelter. It lacks all standards,” said Parwin Fatih, a member of the Kirkuk provincial council who supervised the shelter’s construction. “What contractors claimed about building this shelter is delusional; we have not seen any proper implementation,” she added.
Council member Abdullah Mirways echoed these concerns during an inspection visit. “We saw a number of stray dogs on our way here, which indicates that dogs are freely exiting the shelter. This is not how a shelter should function. It needs serious investigation,” he said.