Photo courtesy of Egypt's cabinet
The ministry said 16,311 dogs had been vaccinated and 1,660 sterilized since January under a programme run by the General Authority for Veterinary Services in cooperation with civil society groups.
The campaign aims to curb the spread of rabies while managing stray dog numbers through vaccination and sterilization rather than culling, officials said.
Egypt has recently expanded efforts to control stray dog populations using the catch, neuter, vaccinate, and release approach, a method widely used in animal population management to reduce disease transmission and gradually stabilize stray numbers.
The country’s stray dog population is estimated at 10 to11 million animals, according to previous government figures.
Authorities say the campaign is part of broader public health efforts to reduce the risk of rabies in urban areas.
Residents can report stray animals or request assistance through a government hotline, 19561, as part of the programme.
The government has also allocated 12 plots of land in several governorates to build shelters for stray dogs outside densely populated areas.
Animals treated at these facilities undergo vaccination, sterilization, and medical care before being released or placed in shelters.
The programme aligns with global efforts led by the World Health Organization (WHO) to eliminate dog-mediated human rabies by 2030 through large-scale vaccination of both stray and owned dogs.
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