In brief
In Hossana, Ethiopia, a cluster of rabies cases tripped a community‑wide emergency plan that ordered residents to kill hundreds of dogs. Authorities promised fines and arrests for owners who did not comply, even if their animals were vaccinated. Local police later halted the killings and called the orders illegal, but reports of door‑to‑door campaigns to dispose of unvaccinated dogs continue. Human losses and the treatment of the animals have raised urgent questions about public health policy and animal welfare laws in the region.
Residents of the central Ethiopian town of Hossana have been forced to kill hundreds of their own dogs after a rabies scare that killed three children and hospitalised around eighty others.
The town’s power groups, linked to the local government, threatened fines and arrests for owners who kept un‑vaccinated dogs. The directive was issued following the deaths and despite many animals having received rabies jabs.
Eyewitnesses say some owners hanged or beat their dogs before handing them over to be killed, while others were taken away by local authorities. Photos (not shown here) depict hanging dogs and rope‑bound bodies.
Mayor Samuel Shigute declared the mass killings illegal, saying the administration did not order them. He later ordered police to investigate. Local veterinarians estimate 400–450 dogs were killed in a few days.
In Ethiopia it is unlawful to kill animals in public or subject them to cruel treatment. Community leaders now demand swift action to bring those behind the orders to justice, while animal rights groups warn of continued violence against unvaccinated pets.
