With more than 20,000 stray dogs vaccinated in the past three months and new feeding regulations on the horizon, Egypt’s long-simmering stray dog crisis has reignited fierce debate over how to balance public safety, animal rights, and scientific policy.
A heated public dispute is unfolding between those demanding the immediate culling of stray dogs and advocates pushing for sterilization and vaccination as humane and evidence-based alternatives.
On Sept. 1, 2025, a national, cross-ministerial committee was established by ministerial decree to tackle the rising population of stray and dangerous animals. Its primary goal is to implement a comprehensive strategy that will eradicate rabies from the country by 2030.
Deepening rift over canine control
Field-based NGOs have brokered official agreements with the government to end poisoning and shootings and instead adopt the 2030 National Rabies Control Strategy, Mona Khalil, vice president of the Federation of Animal Welfare Associations, told Al Manassa.
“The rising calls to kill street dogs are no surprise,” said Khalil. “Some of them come from veterinarians who've never lifted a finger for animal welfare, and from rights advocates who have nothing to show for their activism.”
Khalil argued that these critics oppose current sterilization initiatives because they’ve failed to produce results themselves. “If we’d followed their fatalistic logic and euthanized dogs deemed dangerous, we would’ve lost the chance to anchor the 2030 strategy—a plan that explicitly bans killing and instead prioritizes sterilization, vaccination, and public education.”
The national rabies control plan, launched in 2021, only began real implementation in recent months. Khalil dismissed early criticism of its impact. “How can anyone claim it hasn’t worked when it’s barely started?”
She also questioned the effectiveness of past policies. “If killing and poisoning had worked, stray dog numbers would be declining—not increasing. That’s the clearest proof their method has failed.”
But for others, the issue has escalated far beyond an animal rights discussion.
Dr. Shehab El-Din Abdel Hamid, president of the Animal Welfare Association, warned that Egypt is in a “catastrophic state” with an estimated 40 million stray dogs on its streets—a figure not backed by official data.
“This is no longer a matter of compassion,” he told Al Manassa. “It’s a national public health emergency and a direct threat to societal safety.”
While acknowledging the role of vaccination and sterilization, Abdel Hamid argued they were no longer sufficient. “I’m not against animal rights,” he said, “but humans must come first. The crisis is outpacing the state’s capacity to respond.”
He pointed to historical precedents where governments took extreme measures. “In the 1930s, the US eliminated its dog crisis through gas chambers, industrial grinders, and containment zones. These weren’t seen as violations of animal rights.”
Dr. El-Husseiny Mohamed Awad, director of the General Directorate for Animal Welfare and Licences at the General Authority for Veterinary Services (GAVS), pushed back against calls for mass killings.
“This isn’t about personal opinions,” Awad explained to Al Manassa. “Our actions are guided by international standards—particularly those of the World Organisation for Animal Health.”
He cited the 2023 Law on the Regulation of Dangerous Animals and Dogs and its executive bylaws from April 2025, which established frameworks for managing owned pets, hazardous species, and stray animals.
Article 23 mandates adherence to global health guidelines in managing stray populations. Article 45 of Egypt’s constitution, alongside Penal Code articles 355 and 357, criminalizes cruelty to animals and unjustified killings.
Article 357 stipulates that killing or poisoning a domesticated animal without cause can lead to jail time or a fine.
Rabies remains the most urgent health threat, said Awad, calling it “100% fatal.” He added that nearly all rabies cases globally originate from dogs.
“There’s no such thing as just saying, ‘Let’s kill the dogs,’” he said. “Professionals look to science and follow proven methods. That’s the mandate of the newly formed Executive Directorate for Animal Welfare, launched in late 2024.”
According to Awad, vaccination teams are currently working in Cairo, Giza, and Ismailia. Aggressive dogs are captured and placed in monitored state shelters.
Rabies infections among animals remain under 40 cases annually, he said. “Once we started vaccinating, human rabies deaths dropped. That’s why the health ministry reduced its post-exposure treatment protocol from five to four doses in August 2025.”
Awad also condemned indiscriminate feeding of stray dogs. “Unregulated feeding backfires. If we suddenly stop, starving dogs could become violent. We’re piloting designated feeding zones in select neighborhoods to prevent that.”
In a September statement, the Ministry of Agriculture said that deliberately withholding food from stray animals goes against both Egyptian law and Islamic values.
Awad admitted that Egypt lacks precise data on its stray dog population. “That’s why joint teams from the environment, health, and veterinary ministries have been tasked with mapping the numbers.” He confirmed that 20,000 stray dogs were vaccinated in the last three months alone.
