Okaz/Saudi Gazette

DAMMAM — The condition of a boy who came under attack by nine stray dogs is stable, according to his father.

Saif Al-Yami was attacked by stray dogs on Monday in the Muhammadiyah neighborhood of Khafji, a northeastern Saudi city bordering Kuwait.

Al-Yami, who sustained multiple bite wounds in his skull and parts of his body, underwent surgery at Qatif Central Hospital, his father told Okaz/Saudi Gazette.

Stray dogs attacked the boy a few minutes before the call for Maghrib prayer at a playground, 200 meters from his home. He was first taken to a hospital in Al-Khafji and was then transferred to Al-Qatif Central Hospital where he underwent urgent surgical procedures.

“My son is now in good health,” the father said.

He noted that the dog bite scene called the “Company Playground” has become a breeding ground for stray and predatory dogs that have been attacking children, women and men for several months. Al-Yami’s uncle stated that the dogs attacked a neighbor’s child six months ago but he was unhurt.

In September 2018, the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs, in cooperation with the Saudi Animal Welfare Society, issued an order to stop the use of poisonous baits to kill stray animals, including dogs found in residential neighborhoods.