QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – On Wednesday, the animal rights group Lawir Organization, which promotes animal welfare in northern Syria, condemned a circular published by the People’s Municipality of Raqqa which explained that the city would put down stray dogs in the area.
“Due to the danger of the big number of stray dogs in the city and their attacks on children and civilians, the municipality will combat this problem and put down stray dogs,” the circular read.
The Municipality warned that those with pet dogs should keep them inside, as the city stated that they would put down any stray dogs in streets and abandoned buildings.
Many cities in northern Syria have problems with stray dogs, particularly the city of Kobani, where 352 people were bitten by stray dogs in the city and its countryside in 2020. Solutions for ecological parks and shelters have been proposed in both Qamishli and Kobani, but so far progress towards these projects have not been made.
Lawir Organization’s statement condemned the “cruel and inhuman” language of the circular, and added that the municipalities of Kobani and Qamishli had also implemented the practice of eliminating stray dogs on occasion.
Dr. Imad Khalaf, a local veterinarian and Executive Director of Lawir, explained to North Press that the proliferation of stray dogs is primarily the fault of humans, who leave garbage in the streets which attracts hungry dogs to populated areas.
“The primary reason they attack humans is because children, people, and cars hit them in the streets, and as a result of this they get wild and attack people. Animals by themselves never attack people, and don’t even get close to them,” he added.
In a previous interview with North Press, Khalaf described his organization’s plan to build a shelter to house and treat stray and sick or injured animals and get them off of the city streets, but due to budget restrictions he has not been able to implement the project.
Lawir Organization stated that “we find it our duty to condemn and file a formal lawsuit against this brutish and irresponsible treatment of creatures that help us to stabilize the ecological balance,” adding that in neighborhoods where dogs are treated kindly, they help defend the neighborhood and never attack its residents.