Egyptian businessman Naguib Sawiris has called for the export of stray dogs from Egyptian streets and prompting the government to implement various management programs.
Commenting on a video shared on the “X” platform (formerly Twitter) on Friday, which showed dogs hiding in a residential building entrance, Sawiris posted: “We need a national project to round up these dogs, provide them with medical treatment, and then sell and export them abroad where people actually want to raise them, rather than relying on random culling and allowing them to spread diseases.”
An official report issued by the Preventive Medicine Sector revealed that more than 1.2 million cases of animal bites or scratches were recorded between January and September 2025 alone.
This indicates a worrying increase, reflecting the continued proliferation of stray dogs and the growing threat of rabies across the country, RT Arabic reported.
Exporting dogs
The Egyptian parliament intends to discuss a parliamentary inquiry regarding the export of stray dogs, after presenting it to a scientific committee of experts and university professors, on condition that dogs be exported “for breeding purposes, not for slaughter.”
The Veterinary Services Authority were notified of the parliamentary inquiry.
The head of the Central Administration for Public Health at the Authority, Ayman Mahrous, commented that “there is no objection to exporting the dogs in accordance with international standards for the export of live animals.”
Mahrous said that presenting the matter to the scientific committee, which is responsible for approving export or import permits for live animals, including dogs, will provide the precise and practical opinion that determines the conditions for export.
The issue of stray animals continues to spark widespread controversy in Egypt.
It has prompted both official and public calls for systemic intervention, alongside a government-announced strategy aimed at controlling and reducing stray populations on public streets.
