Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly He stressed On Monday, May 18, the need to confront the phenomenon of the spread of stray dogs through sterilization, vaccination, expansion of shelters, coordinated veterinary intervention, and moving away from reactive or ad hoc methods for managing stray animals.
News Come After several governorates witnessed a noticeable increase in incidents of attacks by stray dogs. The most recent case was the case of the child “Bassem Al-Sayed” in Suez Governorate, whose funeral was held after he died while trying to escape from being chased by a group of stray dogs.
Rather than operating as a one-off campaign, the initiative forms part of the government’s broader “Rabies Free Egypt 2030” strategy, which aims to reduce rabies transmission, respond to growing public safety concerns, and gradually stabilize the stray dog population across the country.
Under the plan, authorities will establish sterilization and veterinary treatment centers in several governorates, along with dedicated shelters designed to house stray dogs away from densely populated residential areas. The government also announced the deployment of mobile veterinary units and specialized transport vehicles to support field operations and emergency response efforts.
Dogs captured by veterinary teams will be spayed, vaccinated against rabies, medically evaluated, and identified before being transported to shelters or returned to controlled areas where appropriate.
The program will also expand rabies vaccination coverage and increase the availability of medicines, veterinary equipment and trained staff. It is expected that local authorities will coordinate with veterinary directorates and municipal bodies to respond more quickly to public complaints, dog bite incidents, and areas reporting high concentrations of stray dogs.
Implementation is expected to take place in phases, with priority initially being given to areas that have seen a rise in complaints or public safety concerns. Parts of Greater Cairo, including Ain Shams, have already been identified among the first targeted areas after repeated reports of stray dog attacks and overcrowding.
Officials also noted that some shelters may include quarantine facilities, treatment areas and adoption services as part of a broader effort to improve animal welfare standards while maintaining population control measures.
The stray animal crisis in Egypt may He stayed It is a long-term problem, as the Egyptian Federation for Animal Welfare estimates that about 100 million stray and street cats roam the country, along with an estimated 15 million stray dogs.