With the help of volunteers… Sidon Municipality is a pioneer in finding a solution for stray dogs
Unfortunately, it seems that the fall of victims is what drives the neglected files in Lebanon, without this necessarily meaning that the matter will continue with the implementation of laws and finding solutions. Who can forget the videotape recorded by one of the surveillance cameras, in which a stray dog appears attacking the child Yassin Haitham Hamza, while he was playing near his home in the Rashidiya camp – Pictures, before the child’s family rushed to retrieve him and take him to the hospital, so we would later learn that the child died from the effects. Injuries sustained as a result of a dog bite.
In a remarkable step, the mayor of Sidon, Hazem Khader Badie, announced that “the municipality was able, in cooperation with male and female volunteers, to find a final solution to the issue of stray dogs in the city, and to secure suitable places to house them in order to prevent any potential harm to citizens, and also to protect the animal from any shock or other accidents. Especially in public places, facilities and spaces.”
He explained, “The municipality put this file on the path to solution about 6 months ago and was a pioneer in this field, and implementation was carried out in two phases: The first phase was started in late September 2023 by allowing a group of male and female volunteers interested in dealing with the issue of stray dogs in the vicinity of the city of the martyr president.” Rafik Hariri Sports Club (north of the city), by establishing a dog barn within the campus of the Sidon Vehicles Complex of the Sidon Municipality (on an area of about 100 square meters from the property 375 Wastani), where the municipality stipulated that these dogs be confined to the barn, cared for, and castration operations be performed to limit the proliferation of these dogs. And financing expenses at the initiative of group members and supporting associations. Indeed, the designs for the barn were drawn up and followed up administratively by the activist engineer Baraa Al-Hariri, and the implementation work was monitored by the head of the engineering department in the municipality, Engineer Dr. Ziad Al-Hakawati.”
The stray dogs were also transferred to the barn after they were collected from the vicinity of the pedestrian walkway in the Hariri Sports City, which is considered a destination for sports enthusiasts and an outlet for families and children (currently there are 17 dogs and 13 puppies in the barn).
Basic needs
This project entails providing food and treatment for dogs, performing surgical operations to reduce breeding, and providing vaccines for them in order to achieve the desired goals. To ensure its continuity, it needs the following requirements:
Medical follow-up program: Many dogs in the shelter need to be cared for and provided with basic medications and vaccines on a regular basis to address emerging health problems in cooperation with veterinarians.
Neutering programme: Implementing a neutering programme, which is necessary to control the proliferation of stray dogs by performing surgical operations, which will limit the proliferation of the dog population in the future.
Healthy food: Proper nutrition is essential for the health and comfort of dogs in the shelter by providing high-quality, nutritious food that ensures the health of the dogs and contributes to preventing the spread of diseases that are caused by the dog’s malnutrition.
Shelter Repairs and Maintenance: The structure of the shelter needs modifications and maintenance in order to achieve a safe and comfortable environment for the dogs. Among them is rezoning the interior to separate dogs at specific times and making repairs to the structure of the shelter, especially to protect against weather factors, in order to improve and enhance living conditions, including adding wooden houses and rooms designated for recovery after neutering operations.
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