CAIRO: A 15-month-old girl was mauled to death by a pack of seven stray dogs outside her family home in Egypt’s October Gardens city, prompting public outrage and a criminal investigation.
The toddler, identified as Salsabil, was reportedly playing outside when the dogs attacked her, inflicting fatal injuries, according to local media reports. Her mother rushed to save her and took her to hospital, but the child later died.
Prosecutors in October Gardens, west of Cairo, have launched an investigation, summoned the girl’s mother for questioning and directed police to review CCTV footage of the incident.
The child’s father, Mohamed Othman, was released pending further investigation into allegations that he buried his daughter without obtaining an official burial permit.
The family buried the girl in Fayoum Governorate, while residents called on authorities to take urgent action to address the growing population of stray dogs in residential areas.
The incident has renewed concerns about animal attacks across Egypt. Figures previously cited by local media from the Health Ministry recorded approximately 1.2 million dog and cat bite incidents between January and September 2025.
Government estimates place Egypt’s stray dog population at between 10 million and 11 million. The reported cost of vaccines and treatment for animal bites reached 1.7 billion Egyptian pounds in 2025.