SULAIMANI, Kurdistan Region – Stray dogs and cats are a common sight in Kurdish cities, reliant on scraps left by restaurants and the general public. However, under the coronavirus lockdown which has forced businesses to close and residents to stay indoors, vulnerable animals are starving to death.

Veterinarians and animal rights campaigners are urging the public to donate food and lay out leftovers outside their homes to alleviate the suffering of local strays.

Volunteers have been granted permission by local authorities to collect food from residents and distribute it to hungry animals.

Stray dogs are often considered a menace and a public health issue in the Kurdistan Region.

However, there has been growing interest in fostering and adopting strays in recent years. Local charities like Paws of Kurdistan have rescued many animals and placed them in loving homes.

The World Health Organization has confirmed pets cannot catch or transmit the coronavirus. In fact, the loneliness of coronavirus isolation can be alleviated by pets, who offer good company, routine, and comfort.

Rudaw