Stray dogs causing havoc, killing goats and sheep in Kirinyaga

The dogs have attacked, killed, and eaten sheep and goats in the village, leaving residents in fear for their own safety and that of children who walk to school early in the morning.

According to villagers led by Mary Muthoni and Jecinta Njiraini, almost every homestead in Kiratina has lost goats or sheep to the increasing number of stray dogs roaming the area.

Residents are now calling on public health officers from the Kirinyaga County Government to intervene. “The growing population of stray dogs in this village can spread deadly rabies. Unless public health officers step in, villagers, and especially school-going children, are at serious risk. These dogs started flooding into the village about two weeks ago,” said Mary Muthoni.

Njiraini added that the situation has left parents with no choice but to take extreme measures to protect their children. “Residents are waking up very early to escort their children to school, while others are locking their kids indoors before going to the shops. We are frustrated. The unpredictable behavior of these stray dogs has created widespread fear and anxiety in the village. They started flooding here just last week,” she said.