The Bethlehem Municipality held a small meeting, attended by Mayor Maher Nicola Canawati, Director General of the Local Government Directorate in Bethlehem Governorate, Mr. Suleiman Abu Mufreh, Director of the Veterinary Department, Dr. Kamel Abu Amria, President of the Animal and Environment Association, Ms. Diana Al-Baabish, and Director of the Health Department in the Bethlehem Municipality, Dr. Yousef Musallam, to discuss the first steps to address the stray dog phenomenon. The meeting addressed the negative effects of the spread of stray dogs in residential areas and ways to effectively reduce them. It was agreed to form special teams of employees and equipped vehicles to capture dogs in densely populated areas. This will include providing the necessary vaccinations for the animals and conducting sterilization operations under appropriate conditions, arranged in coordination with the relevant authorities. The municipality will also communicate with citizens to identify areas suffering from this phenomenon, with the aim of initiating treatment according to carefully considered priorities. The mayor emphasized that this step is part of the municipality’s efforts to protect citizens and preserve public health, in cooperation with partners in the health and environmental sectors.