The Kurdistan Green Party (KGP) claimed that over 300,000 stray dogs roam the streets of the Kurdistan Region. Although a shelter has been built in Sulaimani to accommodate stray dogs, their large number has made the problem more challenging to address.

When one walks through the streets of Sulaimani, it is not uncommon to spot a pack of stray dogs living on the city’s streets, parks, restaurants, and residential complexes. Many stray dogs have bothered the citizens of the town. 

The Kurdistan Green Party (KGP) has announced a project to solve the problem of stray dogs. Their large number has made them hungrier as they have to compete over lesser food available. The dogs are also a threat to people, especially women and children. The stray dogs have caused multiple deaths and tens of injuries only in 2022.  

Citizens often abuse stray dogs and have to move from one place to another. A sharp rise in the number of dogs in the Kurdistan region has also increased the risk to the population and the region’s ability to shelter and feed them. Animal rights advocates have proposed solutions to protect animal rights. 

The unprecedented increase in the stray dog population could be traced to people’s tolerance of dogs and a new culture of loving animals. Also, people tend to through large amounts of food. According to unofficial figures, nearly 2610 tons of food are wasted daily in the Kurdistan region. 

According to the figures published by KGP, there are more than 300,000 stray dogs in the Kurdistan region, 63,000 are in Erbil, 50,000 in Duhok, and 51,000 in Sulaimani, and the rest live in the other cities of the Kurdistan region. 

Stray dogs have become a chronic problem for the Kurdistan region, and there seem to be no solutions for the time being.