A peer-reviewed paper published on 6 May 2025 in the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science—“Toward Objective Assessment of the Stray Dog Problem in Jordan” (https://doi.org/10.1080/10888705.2025.2500976) the first data-driven look at free-roaming dogs in Irbid and what they mean for public health.
Key findings
- Dog numbers are far lower than feared. Using a 25-km survey route walked every two weeks from Nov 2021 to Nov 2023, researchers estimate fewer than 5,000 stray dogs in Irbid—light-years from past claims of 100,000–200,000 made by local officials .
- Population is trending down. Average dogs per kilometre fell sharply after late 2022, amounting to about a 40 % drop over two years .
- Rabies remains rare. Ministry of Health records list just 11 human rabies cases nationwide since 2005, with no upward trend Toward Objective Assess….
- Problem is localised. Dogs cluster around waste sites and semi-rural edges rather than city centres, explaining why a handful of neighbourhood “hotspots” feel besieged while others see few canines Toward Objective Assess…Toward Objective Assess….
Why it matters for people
Residents in those hotspots legitimately fear bites and late-night noise; media panic has also fuelled anger and occasional violence toward dogs Toward Objective Assess…Toward Objective Assess…. The authors argue that human-health-first solutions—better waste management, targeted vaccination, and sterilisation—can cut bite risk and dog numbers simultaneously, easing community anxiety without resorting to indiscriminate culling.
The threat is real for certain families, but the data show a solvable public-health challenge, not an unmanageable invasion, the study concludes.
With a reliable baseline finally in hand, municipalities can now track progress, focus resources where they’re needed most, and—ideally—replace fear with evidence-based action.