Lingering Canine Crisis

The stray dog menace in Kashmir has become a major public safety issue, and a crisis that's now affecting how families live their daily lives.

When children walk to school clutching sticks instead of lunchboxes, when elderly citizens lie awake at night to the sound of relentless howling, then we must ask: how long before this issue is treated as an emergency?
Recent numbers from SMHS Hospital are sobering: In just one year-from April 2023 to March 2024-there were 8,652 dog bite cases. Over 30,000 such cases have been reported in the last six years. These are not faceless statistics. These are children, elders, and neighbours.

The problem is not merely the growing population of stray dogs. It's the systemic failure that allows it to spiral. Poor waste management, with open garbage dumps across the city, provides a steady food source for dogs and accelerates breeding. At the same time, sterilisation drives, though well-intentioned, remain inadequate. Less than a quarter of the stray population is sterilised annually-nowhere near enough to curb the numbers.

Authorities cannot treat this as a routine urban issue anymore. It has altered the everyday lives of thousands of people. Delivery workers avoid certain areas. Children need adult escorts for even short distances. Fear is shaping behaviour, and that fear is justified.

But there is still room to act, humanely, effectively, and with resolve. The government must scale up sterilisation efforts significantly. Animal shelters must be set up and managed professionally to house strays that pose a risk to public safety. Crucially, Srinagar's waste disposal system needs urgent overhaul. Without solving the garbage crisis, all other measures will fall short.

Equally important is community engagement. Local authorities must work with residents, not against them. Responsive helplines, awareness campaigns on how to deal with stray encounters, and designated feeding zones can help bridge the growing gap between people and animals.

What is unfolding in Srinagar is not just a municipal problem. It is a breakdown of urban planning, public health management, and civic responsiveness. The silence from the top is adding to the helplessness on the ground. This cannot continue. The time for half-measures is over. The government must act now

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