STRAY dogs can be seen in many neighborhoods all over the Kingdom, posing great danger to the safety of passerby, especially children. Some children fell victims to rabid dogs or were seriously injured, Al-Riyadh daily reported. Stray dogs killed a nine-year-old Saudi boy as he was walking toward his relatives' house in the central province of Qassim last month. Family members searching for the boy found his blood-covered body in an isolated area in Al-Qawara, 80 km north of Buraidah city, at night, local media reported. Police said the dogs attacked the boy just before he reached his relatives' house and that parts of his body were ripped off. Doctors have warned against the danger of dogs and how these animals can transmit contagious diseases. Nasser Al-Shibani, who lives in Riyadh, says stray dogs have been seen a lot and in large numbers lately, especially around midnight. Concerned authorities must find a way to cull the animals because some of them are rabid. "We feel constantly worried that our children get bitten by these dogs. I read the other day the story of the kid who was bitten by stray dogs and died on the way to hospital. It is scary. I do not want my child to be the next," he said. Al-Shibani called upon the concerned authorities to do something and find a lasting solution to this recurrent problem. The number of stray dogs has been increasing lately and residents of the neighborhood feel as if they are surrounded by a constant danger. Majed Al-Otaibi, who lives in another remote neighborhood, wondered why the Riyadh Municipality is not taking any measures to eradicate this problem. "Besides the dangers these dogs pose, they do not let us sleep peacefully at night and keep barking all night along. Our children are scared as well. How long should we wait until this problem has been solved? Should we wait until another kid gets bitten and killed by these dogs? The municipality's animal controllers should neutralize these rabid and savage animals," he said. Dr. Falah Al-Dawsari, director of Environmental Health in Riyadh Municipality, said they are working non-stop to handle this situation. "We did receive reports of stray dogs from different people and sent out animal controllers to neutralize the animals. We use poisonous baits and syringes for this purpose. The dead dogs are disposed of in a healthy and safe way," he explained. Last year, the municipality got rid of 3,486 stray dogs, 4,552 cats and over 100 snakes in different neighborhoods of Riyadh, he said. Al-Dawsary urged the public to report stray dogs and cats by calling 904, which is the toll-free number of Riyadh Municipality. Veterinarians have warned against the grave dangers of dog bites and their fatal effect on sheep and other animals. If an animal has been bitten by a stray dog, it should be separated from other animals immediately. A vet should examine the animals and ensure they are free from rabies. Dogs can transmit a lot of other diseases to humans, including Leishmaniasis, a parasite infection carried by sand flies from the tainted blood of dogs to humans. The parasite is rampant in places where a large number of stray dogs are found. If the parasite enters the human body and ends up in the liver, it can be fatal.
