Residents of a gated community in 6 October City have filed police reports accusing a resident of poisoning dogs and endangering lives after a man was hospitalized from exposure to an internationally banned toxin.
The crisis erupted last Thursday, when videos circulated showing poisoned dogs lying in pools of blood inside the compound. Many residents called on the Ministry of Interior and the public prosecutor to investigate the incident, arrest those responsible, and put an end to the torture and killing of dogs in the streets.
"We deal daily with hostility from pet-hating residents," Mohamed Adel, the resident who was hospitalized after coming into contact with the poison, told Al Manassa.
"They subject us as animal welfare activists to insults and name-calling. On one occasion, I almost got into a fistfight while I was putting food and water for the dogs and cats," he said.
"Two years ago, over 150 dogs were mercilessly killed here using the internationally banned strychnine, poison," he added.
Al Manassa reviewed a letter dated April 10, 2023, from the compound's maintenance company to the Giza Veterinary Directorate, which explicitly approved the use of strychnine to control stray animals.
This contradicts a 2021 advisory from the State Commissioners’ Body, which urged a nationwide ban on strychnine due to its high toxicity and environmental harm. In the same year, Egypt launched a national strategy to eradicate rabies through vaccination and awareness campaigns.
"Our compound has no perimeter wall, so the dogs keep returning. To avoid further poisoning, we residents collaborated with animal welfare groups to implement Egypt's national rabies strategy, aiming for zero rabies cases by 2030," Adel said. Last month, all dogs in the compound were vaccinated.
Despite these efforts, Adel said the vaccinated dogs were targeted. "The compound turned into a graveyard of poisoned dogs. Among them were a golden retriever and a labrador, both owned by residents. While trying to clear food scraps laced with poison, I cut my finger. Within 10 minutes, I was dizzy and nauseous."
His wife called an ambulance, which took him to 6 October General Hospital. Doctors referred him to the Kasr Al-Ainy toxicology center, where tests confirmed toxin exposure.
"We have a medical report documenting the poisoning," he said.
Adel filed a complaint at the 6 October Third Police Department, which was escalated to the public prosecution under case number 2932/2025. The suspect was named in the report, along with a video showing her admitting to poisoning the dogs.
"I'm confident in the Egyptian judiciary and legal system. This is now bigger than just the poisoning of dogs, which we will not let go unanswered," Adel said. "The case now involves attempted murder." He explained that the prosecution has charged the woman accordingly and ordered forensic analysis of the dog carcasses to determine the type and severity of the toxin used.
Omar Samy, a member of the animal rights group 'Refq Animal Rescue', told Al Manassa that he and other volunteers, including Adel, had teamed up with the NGO Forset Hayah to vaccinate and neuter over 60 dogs last month.
"We also ran awareness sessions for children and local shopkeepers. It was a community effort, completely destroyed by this horrific poisoning," he said.
"The minute we heard of the poisoning, we headed to the compound right away and called an ambulance," Samy said. "A woman confronted us and confessed to placing the poison," he added. A group of residents then filed a joint complaint under case number 2933/2025.
Samy suspects the poison was strychnine. "It causes internal bleeding and violent convulsions. We found traces on poisoned chicken legs left by the suspect."
He added that the poison was fast-acting. "Even a minor skin cut led to severe symptoms. Some residents also reported nausea after inhaling the substance."
Samy criticized the compound's administration for failing to build a boundary wall. "We've raised this issue for months with the compound's administration, especially after the dogs were vaccinated. It is aware of what's happening (the poisoning), yet remains silent. These animals were not aggressive or rabid."
Mennatallah Mohamed, an engineer and resident, said her blind, elderly dog was killed in the incident. "I rescued her two years ago. She was vaccinated and licensed," she told Al Manassa, providing medical documentation.
"The poison was thrown onto my ground-floor balcony. I came home from work to find her bleeding and dead. My mother is now suffering from nausea due to inhaling the fumes. I've filed a personal complaint, case number 2952/2025, in addition to the joint report."
Egypt's Constitution and penal code both criminalize animal cruelty. Article 45 mandates animal welfare, while Articles 355 and 357 prohibit acts of brutality against animals, including poisoning. Article 357 stipulates up to six months in prison or a fine of up to 200 Egyptian pounds (around $4) for killing domestic animals without justification
