From hell to worse: Iraqi Kurdistan's stray dogs after the bounty

From Hell to worse: stray dogs after the bounty in Iraqi Kurdistan — Stray dogs abuse in Sulaimani city,Iraqi Kurdistan, October 2025. Photo: Screengrab/FB video/via iKurd.net

SULAIMANI,— A disturbing video released by the PAK Organization, an animal welfare group based in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, has drawn widespread outrage after showing two men and a young boy dragging a stray dog through the Sarchinar neighborhood of Sulaimani city with a wire tied around its neck.

The footage, published Wednesday, sparked condemnation on social media and reignited debate over the treatment of stray animals in the region.

According to the PAK Organization, the act represents more than a single case of cruelty. In a statement, the group said the scene reveals “a culture of violence” that not only harms animals but also teaches children to tolerate abuse.

“This is not just a dog being tortured,” the group said. “This is a child being taught cruelty and indifference. Such acts endanger both the child’s well-being and the moral health of society.”

The statement added that the video reflects “thousands of similar incidents” that occur daily in parts of Sulaimani, blaming ignorance and poor awareness for the mistreatment of animals.

The abuse of stray dogs in Sulaimani city in Iraqi Kurdistan, October 2025. Video: FB

The incident comes one month after Sulaimani authorities introduced a cash reward program for capturing stray dogs. Residents who catch the animals receive between 2,000 and 3,000 Iraqi dinars — about $1.50 to $2.00 per dog.

Some observers have described Kurdistan as “a hell for stray dogs,” citing frequent killings and the absence of adequate care for the animals.

Animal welfare advocates say stray dogs across the Kurdistan Region are frequently harassed, beaten, struck by vehicles, or even shot.

In the video, the dog appears to bleed and urinate from fear while being pulled toward a vehicle headed for the city’s animal shelter.

The woman filming the scene can be heard questioning the men’s actions, asking about their sense of morality. One of the men responds dismissively, saying, “What God? What are you talking about?” before continuing to drag the dog away.

Animal rights groups have long criticized conditions in Sulaimani’s shelter, describing it as overcrowded and unsanitary. Activists claim many animals there die from neglect or starvation.

The Kurdistan Region passed its first animal protection law in late 2022, making it illegal to kill stray animals by any method. Despite the legislation, activists say enforcement is weak and violence against animals remains common.

An estimated 300,000 stray dogs live across Iraqi Kurdistan Region, according to the Sulaimani-based Kurdistan Green Party. Advocates argue that most of these dogs are safer on the streets than in shelters where they face harsh conditions or death.

Reports from shelters in Erbil and Zakho indicate similar issues, with facilities operating far beyond capacity. A shelter in Sulaimani, built in 2021 on five dunams of land, is also overcrowded and struggling with damaged infrastructure.

Footage released in March 2025 from Duhok showing city workers mistreating dogs prompted renewed calls for reform.

In Iraqi Kurdistan, Muslim preachers routinely issue Islamic fatwas that permit the killing of stray dogs.

Animal welfare advocates say the government must strengthen its laws and promote humane methods to manage the stray population. Critics warn that the current practices continue to harm the Kurdistan Region’s reputation and fail to solve the problem.

What Islam and its spiritual leader, known as “Prophet” Muhammad, say about dogs:

In Sahih Muslim, from ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd, who said: The Messenger of Allah used to command the killing of dogs, so we would go out into Medina and its outskirts; we would not leave a dog except that we killed it, to the point that we even killed the “murayyah” (diminutive of “woman”) of the people of the desert that followed her.

And in Sahih Muslim also, from Ibn al-Mughāfil, he said: The Messenger of Allah commanded the killing of dogs, then said: “What is the matter with them and the dogs?”

In Sunan al-Nasā’ī, from ʿAbdullāh ibn al-Mughāfil, he said: The Messenger of Allah said: “Were it not that the dogs are a nation among the nations, I would have ordered their killing; so kill from among them the black, fierce ones.”

(With files from Agencies)