13,000 Stray Dogs Vaccinated Against Rabies in Egypt in 2026

A nationwide anti-rabies campaign has vaccinated 12,665 stray dogs and sterilised 1,593 across Egypt since January 2026, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation.

The drive is being implemented by the General Authority for Veterinary Services, with field veterinary teams operating across multiple governorates. The ministry said the campaign aims to curb the spread of rabies, strengthen public health safeguards and promote humane animal management practices. 

Operations are being carried out in line with approved scientific standards to ensure disease containment and sustainable population management.

The programme is being implemented in coordination with civil society organisations and the Federation of Animal Welfare Associations. Egypt has adopted a nationwide strategy to manage an officially estimated stray dog population of 10 to 11 million through a catch-neuter-vaccinate-and-release model.

Under this approach, stray dogs are captured, vaccinated against rabies, sterilised and either returned to their original locations to preserve ecological balance or transferred to designated shelters if deemed aggressive or suspected of carrying disease. Officials have emphasised that culling and poisoning are prohibited.

Earlier phases of the campaign prioritised densely populated governorates including Cairo and Giza, with 12 plots of land allocated outside residential zones to establish shelters for high-risk animals. The ministry urged the public to report suspected rabies cases through its veterinary hotline on 19561 to support rapid response efforts.