Srinagar: The streets of Jammu and Kashmir are increasingly turning into danger zones, not because of militancy or unrest, but due to a menace much closer to home, the exploding stray dog population. With over 3.15 lakh stray dogs roaming across the Union Territory, J&K has earned the dubious distinction of having the second-highest dog-to-human ratio in India. The result is a spiraling health crisis, a growing psychological burden, and a dangerous vacuum of government inaction.
Official figures paint a grim picture. In 2024 alone, J&K recorded 51,027 dog bite cases, a jump of nearly 60 percent from 22,110 in 2022. The Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying revealed that in January 2025 alone, 4,824 cases were reported. Behind the numbers are disturbing realities that affect thousands of households every year. Children, often the most vulnerable, are frequent victims. Earlier this year, a young man from the outskirts of Srinagar died of rabies, a stark reminder that the disease is 100 percent fatal once symptoms appear. According to J&K’s Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), three rabies deaths were reported between 2023 and 2024. Experts warn that the actual number may be higher due to under-reporting, especially in rural belts where access to treatment is scarce. “In villages, people often ignore small bites because hospitals are far away and anti-rabies vaccines are not always available. But even a minor bite can turn deadly. We are sitting on a time bomb,” said Dr. Bilal Ahmad, a physician at SKIMS. Beyond the statistics, the menace has altered daily life in Kashmir’s towns and villages. Parents hesitate to let children walk to tuition classes or playgrounds alone. Senior citizens say they have abandoned their morning walks because of packs of dogs that chase pedestrians. “Every morning, 10 to 15 dogs sit outside my lane in Rawalpora. My daughter cannot walk to school anymore, we have to drop her by car every day,” said Shazia Jan, a mother of two. “This is no way to live in a city. Where is the administration?” The psychological toll is as dangerous as the physical bites. Many residents describe living under constant fear. The stray dog population has become not just a civic nuisance but a public safety threat.
The root cause lies in the collapse of the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme, which is supposed to sterilise and vaccinate dogs. In Srinagar, the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) managed to vaccinate just 11,789 dogs in three years. In other districts, the programme never took off. Officials admit that administrative delays, lapsed contracts and stalled tenders halted sterilisation drives in 2025.
“The ABC programme was never run with seriousness. Contracts were given to NGOs without accountability. For a population as large as ours, you need sustained, scientific sterilisation, not piecemeal efforts,” said a former SMC official on condition of anonymity. As a result, the stray dog population has ballooned unchecked. With plentiful garbage dumps providing easy food, the dogs thrive and multiply, deepening the crisis. Kupwara, Baramulla, and Pulwama towns have reported increasing dog attacks, with villagers often saying the threat from stray dogs has overtaken the fear of wild animals. “In our village, children cannot walk to orchards or fields alone. We live in fear of dogs more than anything else,” said Ghulam Nabi Dar, a farmer from Kralpora.
The crisis in J&K coincides with a landmark intervention from the Supreme Court of India, which last week modified its earlier order that had directed the rounding up of all stray dogs in Delhi-NCR. In its latest ruling, the three-judge bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and NV Anjaria said stray dogs must be sterilised, dewormed, vaccinated, and released back into the same locality. However, dogs infected with rabies or exhibiting aggressive behaviour must be kept in shelters and not released back on the streets. Municipalities were told to set up dedicated feeding zones for stray dogs, banning indiscriminate feeding on streets. The order made it clear that NGOs and individuals obstructing these measures would face strict prosecution. Importantly, the court expanded the scope of its directions to all states and Union Territories, including J&K, and asked for responses on the framing of a national policy to tackle the menace. The ruling has brought the issue back into the public debate in Kashmir, where residents have long demanded intervention. The order has amplified demands for urgent action in Srinagar and beyond. JKNC Spokesman Tanvir Sadiq reacted strongly, saying J&K must not delay in implementing measures. “This is a significant Supreme Court order on the stray dog menace. Dogs must be shifted away from residential areas and strict action must be taken against anyone blocking it. With dog bite cases rising in Srinagar — a complaint we hear almost daily — I urge SMC Commissioner Fazlul Haseeb Sahab to take suo motu cognisance and address this menace urgently,” Sadiq said.
Doctors and health experts too are sounding the alarm. “Rabies is entirely preventable with vaccines, but prevention has to start with controlling the dog population through sterilisation and vaccination drives. Once symptoms appear, no treatment can save the patient. The focus has to be on prevention, not reaction,” said Dr. Shagufta Qadir, a public health specialist. Residents, meanwhile, say they feel abandoned by the administration. “The dog population is the result of our inaction. Now, it is time for the government to act and undo what its complacency has created,” said Muhammad Zaid, a Srinagar resident. The sense of neglect is widespread, with many citizens asking why the government has failed to act despite tens of thousands of cases every year. Municipal officials, however, admit that funds and infrastructure are major gaps. Srinagar has only one operational sterilisation centre, while other districts lack facilities altogether. “It is shocking that despite 50,000 bite cases annually, the government has not declared this a public health emergency. Compare it to how we dealt with COVID or swine flu — dog bites are killing people too, but it doesn’t make headlines every day,” said a senior official in the Health Department.
The crisis is not limited to rabies. Packs of stray dogs create fear on streets, outside schools, bus stops, and marketplaces, changing how people navigate daily life. In many neighbourhoods, the presence of aggressive dogs outside hospitals and garbage collection points is routine. With poor garbage management and food waste scattered openly, dogs find ample sustenance and multiply unchecked. Health experts stress that scientific sterilisation and vaccination drives, coupled with district-level dog shelters for aggressive or sick animals, are the only sustainable solutions. Public education is also critical. Many victims ignore smaller bites or scratches, not realising these too can transmit rabies. Awareness campaigns are needed to ensure people seek immediate vaccination after every exposure. The most glaring aspect of the crisis, however, is the absence of political will. Sources in the administration confirmed that no high-level meeting has been held in recent years to address the stray dog issue. Despite alarming data, the menace has not been declared a public health emergency, nor has a coordinated strategy been unveiled. For residents, the wait has already been too long.
