Feature: Rising stray dog attacks spark public-health concerns in Jordan

Amman [Jordan], November 29: Attacks by stray dogs roaming neighborhoods have become a public concern in Jordanian cities, prompting calls for a comprehensive, long-term national response that balances public safety with animal welfare.
Residents have reported a rising number of injuries and, in some cases, deaths, urging authorities to tackle the problem at its roots.
In the northwestern city of Ramtha, a fourth-grade student was bitten by a dog near her home while walking to school. Her mother, a nurse at Ramtha Hospital, said the child received immediate treatment. She called on authorities to better protect students, especially in the early morning hours.
In another case in the same city, a two-and-a-half-year-old Pakistani girl sustained severe injuries due to a stray dog attack outside her home, including damage to the optic nerve, prompting anger among residents.
In Zarqa, the second-largest city in Jordan, surveillance footage showing a woman being attacked by a group of dogs circulated widely on social media, fueling public outrage.
Alaa Riyad, a mother of six in Amman, described the fears of many parents. They are concerned about letting children walk to school unaccompanied. "They (dogs) pose a real danger in residential alleys," said she.
The Greater Amman Municipality told Xinhua that the municipality has handled about 4,000 complaints over stray dogs this year through a hotline, SMS service, and an online portal.
"Hundreds of captures and sterilizations are ongoing," said Hatem Khassawneh, director of the Vector Control and Animal Welfare Department at the municipality.
Khassawneh said the municipality's Animal Care Center sterilized nearly 7,000 dogs in 2024, adding that Jordan follows the internationally recognized Animal Birth Control method -- surgical sterilization by certified veterinarians, vaccination, ear-tagging, and return to the capture site, which authorities say reduces aggression and helps stabilize local dog populations.
He warned that simply removing dogs from an area can create vacancies that attract new packs.
Khassawneh acknowledged that the stray dog problem has intensified in recent years, driven by high reproduction rates among free-roaming dogs, public feeding practices, and difficulty accessing certain areas, as well as urban expansion that brings animals closer to residential neighborhoods.
Despite sterilization efforts, Jordan's Ministry of Health figures show more than 14,500 people sought medical care for animal bites over the past two years, including about 5,412 children under 15.
Reported bite cases numbered 3,242 in 2024 and 2,170 in the first ten months of 2025, with adults accounting for roughly 9,089 treatments during the same period, according to official data.
Reports released during a dialogue hosted by the National Center for Human Rights estimate the number of free-roaming dogs in Amman alone may exceed 200,000, intensifying pressure on authorities and raising public-health concerns.
The National Center for Epidemic Control has launched a national plan for a rabies-free Jordan that includes updated treatment protocols and physician training. National and municipal authorities, animal-welfare groups and civil-society organizations have called for a coordinated strategy that combines Animal Birth Control programs, community education, improved waste management and legal measures to reduce human-animal conflict while protecting public health.
Source: Xinhua News Agency