2026-05-14T12:36:04+00:00
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Shafaq News-
Saladin
A pack of stray
dogs attacked four sixth-grade students in Saladin, central Iraq, while they
were returning home after completing their final exams, leaving them with
varying injuries, a medical source in the province’s health directorate told
Shafaq News.
Eyewitness Ahmad
Omar told our agency that residents quickly intervened to rescue the children
and drive the dogs away after they directly attacked the students. He noted
that stray dogs have spread across the area in recent months, particularly near
schools and vacant land, adding that residents have repeatedly filed complaints
with local authorities over recurring incidents and fears for children’s
safety.
Residents say stray
dogs have become a daily threat, especially to school students during early
morning hours and after classes.
Last month, a rabid dog attacked five people, including four
children, in central Basra, southern Iraq.
Official estimates place Iraq’s stray dog population at more
than one million, with authorities reporting frequent bite incidents across the
country. Animal rights advocates, however, oppose policies permitting the
killing of stray dogs, arguing that mass culling disrupts ecological balance
and violates Kurdistan Region Law No. 14 of 2022, which bans the killing of
stray animals and requires humane treatment.
Read more: Deadly dog attacks: Who protects Iraq’s neighborhoods?