More than 400 people in Mykolaiv sought medical attention over the course of a year due to bites from stray dogs
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- Yuliia BoichenkoReporter
Dogs at the Mykolaiv «Animal Protection Centre». Photo: «NikVesti»Residents of Mykolaiv are complaining about packs of stray dogs which, they say, are attacking passers-by. In the first nine months of 2026, 406 people sought medical attention following bites from such animals. At the same time, more than four thousand stray dogs have been counted in the city.
This is evidenced by residents’ enquiries to the Mykolaiv City Council’s Contact Centre and the Executive Committee’s response to an information request from NikVesti.
Residents complain about dog attacks
Resident Tetiana Yakymchuk reported a large pack of dogs in the courtyard of a building at 124a Tsentralnyi Avenue. According to her, the animals roam neighbouring courtyards and gather during the day near the «Usmishka» dental clinic and a medical equipment shop.
«They have attacked residents on numerous occasions. Sometimes it’s scary to go into the courtyard. Please take note and take action,» she wrote.
Stray dogs on the streets of Mykolaiv. Photo: Tetiana Yakymchuk
Stray dogs on the streets of Mykolaiv. Photo: Tetiana YakymchukA similar problem has been reported in Matviivka. Local resident Iryna Tsybko reported the presence of dogs near blocks 9–10 on Matviivska Street. According to her, the animals regularly attack people, particularly children, as they walk to the public transport stop, the House of Culture or shops.
«Complaints by local residents to the police and the «Animal Protection Centre» municipal enterprise have yielded no results. Sterilising and microchipping these animals has had no effect whatsoever on their aggression or the harm they cause to residents’ health,» noted Iryna Tsybko.
She is asking the local authorities to round up the dogs, which, she says, pose a danger to passers-by.
How many stray dogs are there in Mykolaiv and how often do they bite people?
In the spring of 2026, 4,091 stray dogs were counted in Mykolaiv, according to data from the «Animal Protection Centre» municipal enterprise in response to an information request from NikVesti. Of these, 1,907 were unneutered, whilst a further 466 were identified as potentially owned — that is, those that may have owners.
The count was carried out by staff of the municipal enterprise, volunteers and local residents using international methods for counting stray animals.
At the same time, the number of people seeking medical attention following bites from stray dogs increased in 2025 compared with 2024.
According to the Mykolaiv Regional Centre for Disease Control and Prevention:
- 2024 — 377 people;
- 2025 — 514 people;
- 2026 — 406 people as at 22 September.
These figures cover cases where the victims sought medical attention. Therefore, the actual number of attacks may differ from the official statistics.
Meanwhile, from the start of 2026 until 22 September, the «Animal Protection Centre» received 55 reports from residents regarding stray dogs. Almost half of these — 27 — concerned aggressive animals.
The Executive Committee’s response to the information request: NikVesti
The Executive Committee’s response to the freedom of information request NikVesti
The Executive Committee’s response to the freedom of information request NikVestiWhat the «Animal Protection Centre» does
In the first nine months of 2026, the municipal enterprise caught 943 dogs.
During the same period, 934 dogs were neutered in the city, and 933 were vaccinated against rabies. New owners were found for 113 animals.
At the same time, 814 dogs were returned to their previous locations following the procedures.
How much does the city spend on stray animals?
In 2026, 20.1 million hryvnias were allocated for the operations of the «Animal Protection Centre» municipal enterprise. Of this, 5.5 million was for trapping, 5.4 million for neutering, and nearly 8 million for the care of the animals. A further 1.2 million was earmarked for the collection and cremation of deceased animals.
As of September, the organisation had spent 14.2 million hryvnias. The city council did not provide a detailed breakdown of these expenditure items by category.
By way of comparison, 16.5 million hryvnias were spent on the company in 2024, and 19 million hryvnias in 2025.
Despite the work of the municipal enterprise, complaints from residents about aggressive dogs continue to be received. And in the first part of 2026, the number of people who sought medical attention after being bitten by stray dogs has already exceeded the figure for the whole of 2024.
Read also the article at NikVesti about how animals are coping with the war in the frontline city of Mykolaiv.
