With concerns of rising stray dog populations in Egypt, one proposed solution involves exporting the animals outside of the country through adoption programs abroad.
However the process is subject to strict conditions aimed at protecting public health and preventing the spread of diseases.
The relevant authorities impose several procedures, including veterinary examinations, mandatory vaccinations, electronic tagging, quarantine, and the issuance of official permits.
This ensures that the export process is conducted within a regulated legal framework that adheres to both local and international standards.
A problem for citizens
The Deputy Chairman of the Manpower Committee in the House of Representatives, MP Ehab Mansour, said that stray dogs in Egypt are becoming a real problem for citizens due to rising reports of bites.
The MP noted that he had received frequent complaints from citizens, especially women, about the difficulty of going to work in the morning due to the spread of dog packs.
Some of them had even lost their jobs because of this, he noted.
Mansour added in statements on the Al-Hadath Al-Youm channel that the number of stray dogs in Egypt ranges between 10 million and 40 million.
He stressed that the solution begins with determining the “safe number” of dogs needed to maintain ecological balance.
Mansour proposed exporting the number of stray dogs exceeding the safe limit for ecological balance, emphasizing the importance of establishing a clear figure that represents an environmentally acceptable number.
He explained: “We must know what the safe number is that achieves ecological balance, and mechanisms for dealing with any number exceeding that will be explored, whether through export to countries suffering from ecological deficits or those that need these dogs within organized care programs.”
In response to concerns raised about the possibility of exporting dogs to countries where they might be slaughtered, Mansour stressed his complete rejection of this proposal, saying: “This is unacceptable, and we cannot solve one problem by committing another mistake.”
He assured that the goal is to study the needs of countries that wish to care for these dogs within a humane and legally organized framework.
Conditions for exporting stray dogs
The Agriculture Ministry has announced five essential conditions for exporting stray dogs, which are as follows:
- Obtain official export approval from the General Authority for Veterinary Services, after ensuring that all necessary legal and veterinary procedures have been completed.
- The animal must be vaccinated against zoonotic diseases, especially rabies, to protect public health.
- Passport must be issued for the animal, detailing its health information and vaccinations.
- Certified health certificate must be issued after laboratory samples are taken to confirm that the animal is free from any contagious diseases.
- Obtain additional approval from the Animal Health Research Institute of the Ministry of Agriculture, as it is the body responsible for laboratory testing and ensuring the animal’s safety before export.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
