Stray dogs can be very dangerous to human beings as an incident happens in Saudi. A two-year-old boy in Saudi Arabia’s Khafji Governorate was seriously injured after a group of stray dogs viciously attacked him.
Nine dogs attacked Saif Al-Yami in a stadium, leaving him with severe wounds all over his body, the child’s uncle Saleh Al-Yami told Al Arabiya.
After the attack, the boy was taken to Khafji General Hospital but doctors did not have the adequate resources to treat his condition, according to his uncle.
He was then transferred to Qatif Central Hospital, where he has since undergone surgery and is currently recovering.
The boy’s family had contacted the Eastern Province Municipality eight months prior and submitted reports about several attacks by stray dogs in the neighborhood, the uncle told Al Arabiya, adding that they would continue to urge authorities to handle the dangers posed by these untamed animals.
How many stray dogs do we have in the world?
Of those, two million are dogs and 2.1 million are cats. What percentage of people have taken in stray animals as pets? Between 2019–2020, 36% of all dogs and 43% of cats were from shelters.
Dogs bit and its diseases
Just like any other wild animal, wild and stray dogs carry diseases which are harmful to both humans and domesticated animals. These dogs carry fleas, ticks, and ear mites, which can carry diseases of their own. Some dog-related diseases and parasites include ringworm, roundworm, tapeworm, mange, viral infections, rabies, and distemper.
Cat bits and its diseases
Just like dogs, stray and feral cats can be very aggressive when approached. For you and the cat’s safety, it is best to call for professionals to deal with the situation. Until proper testing is done, one can’t be sure if the animal is free from diseases like rabies which pose a serious threat to humans.
Dogs biting ratio for the last Six Months
For the last six months, Nyamasheke district authorities have reported fourty(40) cases where people were attacked by stray dogs inflicting injuries on them.
The stray dog attack cases have been reported in Rangiro, Cyato and Kirimbi sectors─all in Nyamasheke district.
After being viciously bitten by stray dogs, victims are taken to Kibogora hospital for treatment where they have been healed satisfactorily.
Samela Mpinakarenge, the last victim was attacked by stray dogs at her home in Cyato sector on April 14, 2020.
“Samuela Mpinakarenge was hospitalized on April 14, 2020, she had wounds that were treated after being attacked by stray dogs. Dog bites may not indicate serious health impacts immediately after bites. But victims can have serious infections of disfigurement, and death, if not treated earlier after the attack,” Dr. Saratiel Kanyarukiko, Director of Kibogora hospital said.
“These dogs were abandoned by their owners, they are not vaccinated. They could be carrying bacterias that cause rabies. This is dangerous. To save the victims from rabies infections immediately, we give them the immediate vaccine,” Kanyarukiko said.
“Stray dogs attack people from bushes inflicting injuries on them. They also attack domestic animals like goats and hens for food,”Kanyarukiko said.
Proactive campaign against stray dogs
In 2010, the government established a policy to be observed by the dog owners and people who want to adopt pets. But less has been done to comply with the guidelines causing stray of dogs.
In Kigali city, the detention dog policy requires each dog to carry a leather collar fitted with the numbered medal. Every dog owner is directed to conduct an annual immunization of his pet against rabies. For villages and towns in Rwanda, any dog owner shall declare their dogs to the nearest police station, or the sector executive secretary.
According to the official Gazette number 50 of 13/12/2010, in urban areas, an order shall apply to any dog straying except for care and food expenses that are five thousand(Rwf5000) per day with a period of three days to claim an impounded dog fixed at three days.
The official Gazette also notes that, whenever a stray dog without owners is found, they shall be shot down by the veterinary authorities with assistance from the police.
In response to the stray dog attacks, Nyamasheke district officials launched a campaign to kill stray dogs by poisoning on April 14, 2020.
So far, sixteen(16) dogs have been poisoned and died.
“We have worked with RAB to poison stray dogs, 16 have died and the hunt to kill them continues. We are not sure where these dogs come from, but they could be coming from our districts or neighboring areas. We are optimistic to have all of them killed,” Appolinie Mukamasabo, Mayor of Nyamasheke said.
“All of these attacks are reported in Cyato, Kirimbi, and Rangiro sectors that neighbor Nyungwe forests. However, the stray dogs do not go to Nyungwe forest, they do not have what to eat there. They are always roaming around bushes neighboring homes to get dumped food hence attacking people and domestic animals,” Mukamasabo said.
Mukamasabo added that “We hope to kill all the stray dogs in the shortest time possible, but we have the challenge of the rains. When it rains poison is diluted. So, poison does not kill them. The effective way is poisoning them when it has not rained,”
“Dog owners are advised to control and immunize their dogs. Veterinary doctors are available starting at the village level and sectors. Otherwise, every stray dog will be killed, and the owners risk to be imprisoned and punished once they are known.”
Dog attacks have been repeatedly reported despite Rwanda Agricultural Board(RAB) and Rwanda national police directives to obey dog detention policy and take care of dogs by owners.
Four years ago, RAB indicated that straying dogs attack people and domestic animals spreading rabies, and warned that failure to observe measures will lead to severe legal action, including culling stray dogs.
The call from RAB and police comes after growing cases of stray dogs was reported in different parts of the country, with some attacking and biting people.
In 2016, the report from RAB indicated that 669 people were attacked and bitten by stray dogs, up from 383 in 2015.
In response to curb stray dog attacks, a total of 2870 stray dogs were culled in 2017.