The Director of the Department of Animal Health at the Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources (PAAAFR) Abdullah Al-Badhal denied the rumors that claim a girl died of a stray dog attack, reports Al-Seyassah daily.

In a press statement, Al-Badhal clarified that the victim received the necessary medical treatment and left the clinic on the same day. This fact has been confirmed by both the clinic and the police station of the area. He revealed that the girl was not bitten by a stray dog but by a pitbull. Al-Badhal explained that the Department of Animal Health at PAAAFR works hard with full capacity to deal with stray dogs. About five trucks have been allocated for collecting the stray dogs.

Almost 1,600 to 1,700 stray dogs have been collected in the last five months and they have been kept in a shelter located in Fahaheel. A specific plan is laid down to put an end to the phenomenon of the growing number of stray dogs. He called upon citizens and residents to put an end to the attitude of helping stray dogs to multiply, such as by feeding them and allocating specific places to offer food to them. Meanwhile, PAAAFR received over 5,000 complaints about stray dogs in the last five years.

Statement
It had earlier issued a statement to stress that stray dogs in Kuwait come from remote and isolated areas where there are a large number of them. It revealed that it has a strategy to minimize the number of stray dogs by providing adequate shelters where both the male and female dogs are neutered and spayed, given vaccinations against rabies, and rehabilitated in preparation to be handed over to the concerned societies and volunteers for adoption. PAAAFR highlighted the coordination with the concerned animal care associations.

In the Letter No. 4554 sent on March 14, 2021, PAAAFR addressed the Municipal Council to allocate plots in Wafra and Abdali areas to be used as shelters for stray dogs . PAAAFR said it met with the relevant committee of the Municipal Council in September during which the request was approved. Procedures are ongoing to impose more requirements to importing dogs and encourage the adoption of rehabilitated dogs from the shelters run by PAAAFR. PAAAFR indicated that it is preparing a plan currently to minimize the number of stray dogs, especially in residential areas but this plan is not a sustainable one. It clarified that coordination is ongoing with the Financial Affairs Department to lay down a sustainable strategy for this purpose. PAAAFR explained that exporting stray dogs is part of the solution but such an action is not part of the responsibility of official institutions.