A devastating rabies outbreak that killed three children and hospitalized dozens more has triggered an illegal mass culling of hundreds of dogs in the central Ethiopian town of Hossana, leaving animal welfare advocates and local residents heartbroken and demanding accountability. Local community groups with ties to regional governing structures ordered all residents to kill their own dogs — even fully vaccinated animals — threatening steep fines and arrest for anyone who refused to comply, multiple witnesses and local officials confirmed to the BBC. The order came after three local children died from rabies infections contracted through dog bites, with another 80 people requiring urgent hospital treatment for exposure, according to Hossana Mayor Samuel Shigute. Eyewitness accounts and graphic photos reviewed by the BBC, which cannot be published due to their disturbing content, paint a grim picture of the culling: many reluctant pet owners were forced to hang or beat their animals to death, photos show dozens of canine bodies hanging from tree branches or left in open fields with ropes still wrapped around their necks. One anonymous local resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear of retaliation, shared that he could not bring himself to kill his vaccinated 5-year-old companion dog, a beloved member of his family. “I decided not to kill him myself, but to let them do it without me seeing. I handed him over, and he was killed a little far from the settlement,” he said. “I am very saddened by the loss of the dog that lived with me for five years and was the pride of our house.” Mayor Samuel confirmed that roughly 70 percent of Hossana’s estimated 10,000 dogs are vaccinated guard dogs, meaning the majority of animals killed posed no risk of spreading the virus. Local veterinarian Alaazar Ayele told reporters he was deeply distressed by the brutal culling, estimating that between 400 and 450 dogs were killed in just the first few days after the order went into effect. “People dragged dogs out and killed them in shocking ways. This is immoral and unacceptable in religion, culture, and law. Videos show owners crying as their dogs were killed,” Alaazar said. While the mayor clarified that the community groups behind the directive are affiliated with local government, he stressed that the mass cull was never authorized by his administration, calling the killings outright illegal. Local police and security forces intervened to halt the public culling within a day of the order being issued, according to Samuel. But animal welfare advocates on the ground say the crackdown on unvaccinated dogs has not ended completely. Feven Melese, who leads an animal rights organization based in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa, says her team has continued to receive reports that individuals are still going door-to-door pressuring homeowners to kill any unvaccinated dogs in their possession, a claim Alaazar echoed. Residents also confirmed that non-compliant owners face severe penalties: those who refuse to euthanize their dogs face arrest and a fine of 50,000 Ethiopian birr, equal to roughly $300 or £225. Under Ethiopian national law, the cruel killing of animals in public spaces or causing unnecessary suffering to animals is illegal. Mayor Samuel says he has ordered local law enforcement to open a full investigation into the unauthorized culling, while Feven is calling for national and regional authorities to hold all responsible parties accountable. “The local government bodies say that they did not do it and did not give the order. If not, they should hold the criminals accountable,” she said. Rabies is a deadly viral disease that is almost always transmitted to humans through bites or scratches from an infected animal, most commonly dogs. Once clinical symptoms appear in humans, rabies is nearly 100 percent fatal, but prompt post-exposure treatment before symptoms develop is highly effective at preventing death. There is no curative treatment for rabies in animals, and unvaccinated dogs that contract the virus almost never survive, so culling is only standard practice for confirmed infected animals globally. The unauthorized mass cull of both vaccinated and unvaccinated dogs in Hossana has sparked widespread condemnation from animal welfare groups across the country, who say the drastic measure violated both national law and basic ethical standards for animal care.
Residents of Ethiopian town forced to kill hundreds of their own dogs after rabies deaths
