Lives are at risk due to a massive stray dog menace across Jammu & Kashmir. With over 2.13 lakh incidents recorded between 2022 and 2025—averaging 150 bites daily—the situation has reached a critical tipping point requiring urgent intervention.
Jammu and Kashmir is in the grip of a growing public health and civic crisis that demands urgent and sustained attention. With nearly 150 dog bite cases being reported every single day and more than 2.13 lakh incidents recorded between 2022 and 2025, the scale of the stray dog menace has become impossible to ignore. What was once an occasional urban inconvenience has now become a serious threat to public safety across the Union Territory. The data paints a deeply concerning picture. The Kashmir Valley alone accounts for over 1.14 lakh dog bite cases, with Srinagar emerging as the worst-affected district, recording more than 36,000 incidents in just four years. Other districts such as Anantnag and Baramulla have also reported tens of thousands of cases, indicating that the problem has spread far beyond city limits into smaller towns and rural areas. In the Jammu region, Jammu city alone has witnessed over 54,000 cases, further underscoring the widespread and persistent nature of the crisis. At its core, this issue reflects systemic shortcomings in urban management and public health planning. Unregulated garbage disposal, open dumping of waste, and the presence of slaughter leftovers in public spaces have created an environment where stray dogs can thrive and multiply unchecked. These conditions not only increase the stray dog population but also heighten the risk of aggressive behaviour and disease transmission, particularly rabies, which remains a fatal concern if not treated promptly. Authorities have taken some steps to address the problem, including sterilisation and anti-rabies vaccination drives under the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme. The Srinagar Municipal Corporation’s efforts to sterilise and immunise thousands of street dogs are a welcome move. However, these initiatives remain limited in scale when compared to the magnitude of the challenge.
“SMC’s dog population control efforts are welcome but insufficient to match the rising scale of stray animals and bite cases. While the Srinagar Municipal Corporation’s sterilization and immunization programs are a positive step, they are currently not sufficient enough to effectively manage the rapidly growing stray dog population and the increasing frequency of bite incidents.”
The pace of intervention is clearly insufficient to keep up with the growing population of stray animals and the rising number of bite cases. What Jammu and Kashmir needs is a comprehensive, multi-layered strategy that addresses both the symptoms and the root causes of the problem. First and foremost, municipal bodies must significantly scale up sterilisation programmes, ensuring adequate funding, trained manpower, and infrastructure. Without a sustained and large-scale effort, population control will remain ineffective. Secondly, scientific waste management must become a top priority. Eliminating food sources on the streets is essential to reducing the stray dog population over time. Equally important is the need for public awareness and community participation. Residents must be educated about responsible pet ownership, including proper registration and preventing the abandonment of pets, which often adds to the stray population. Schools, local communities, and civil society groups can play a crucial role in spreading awareness and promoting safe practices. At the same time, the healthcare system must be strengthened to ensure easy and timely access to anti-rabies vaccines and treatment facilities, especially in rural and remote areas where such services are often limited. A coordinated approach involving municipal authorities, health departments, and animal welfare agencies is essential for any long-term solution.
