Gov’t plans shelter for stray dogs

AMMAN — Experts and members of the public have welcomed the government’s proposal to build shelters for stray dogs.

Deputy Prime Minister and Local Administration Minister Tawfiq Kreishan on Sunday told the media that the issue of stray dogs is “worrying” and the Local Administration Ministry attaches great importance to the issue.

He said that it is not possible to establish a shelter for stray dogs in each municipality, whose numbers stand at around 100, due to financial constraints.

However, he noted that the ministry is working in coordination with donor countries to establish a shelter for every three or four municipalities for stray dogs as a solution.

Executive Director of Aqaba’s Al Rabee Society for Nature and Animal Protection Rodica Athamneh stressed the importance of having dog shelters in all cities.

“Dog shelters are more necessary for Jordan than any other country because people in the Kingdom are reluctant to accept dogs in the same way as other countries,” Athamneh told The Jordan Times.

Taking the large numbers of stray dogs into account, health problems that may come with them pose a great challenge. For this reason, a shelter is a necessity, Athamneh added.

“Building shelters is considered the best solution. Killing stray dogs is not the solution,” she noted.

The other option is implementing a large-scale sterilisation programme, she added.

Rahaf Murad, an Amman resident, said the government must find a suitable solution for the issue of stray dogs.

“I am always late for work because I struggle in the streets because of stray dogs. I don’t have a car and I have to cross a street which is full of stray dogs each morning,” Murad added.

Amal Abo Ghosh, a mother in Amman, said: “I can’t let my kids go to the supermarket because of the large number of stray dogs.”