India is home to the world’s largest population of stray dogs and cats, and tragically, also reportedly records the highest number of rabies-related deaths globally—accounting for nearly 36% of all such fatalities. In Jammu and Kashmir, human rabies deaths rose from four in 2023 to five in 2024, as revealed by data presented in the Lok Sabha. These cases have been directly linked to the growing menace of stray dogs, an issue that continues to escalate in many states. Apart from rabies deaths, the number of stray dog bites has increased significantly in the recent past. The responsibility for managing stray animal populations lies with municipal bodies under Article 243(W) of the Constitution. To address this, the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme—focused on sterilization and anti-rabies vaccination—was introduced. Advisories were reissued to all states and Union Territories, including Jammu and Kashmir, in November 2024 and again in July 2025, emphasizing the need to expand infrastructure and implement the ABC guidelines effectively. Yet on the ground, the implementation in Kashmir has remained dismally slow. In 2024, Srinagar sterilized and vaccinated 6,207 dogs—a marginal increase from 5,087 in 2023. Alarmingly, not a single sterilization procedure has been carried out so far in 2025. The sluggish pace highlights a broader neglect and inadequate prioritization of a problem that has far-reaching consequences. The stray dog situation cannot be reduced to a matter of animals roaming public spaces; it intersects with issues of urban planning, healthcare, waste management, and human safety. Tens of millions of stray dogs live in India’s cities and towns, surviving on open garbage and food scraps discarded on streets. Unregulated waste disposal systems, particularly in urban areas, not only sustain these populations but draw more animals to densely populated zones, increasing the likelihood of dog-human conflict. The public health dimension is particularly alarming. Rabies—a fatal viral disease—continues to claim lives. The virus is primarily spread through the saliva of infected animals, often through bites. A bite, even minor, can tear through skin, damage nerves, and lead to secondary infections, but it is the risk of rabies that makes every bite potentially deadly. Once symptoms appear, rabies is nearly always fatal, making post-bite wound cleaning and vaccination the only viable medical defense. India’s highest court has taken note. The Supreme Court, reacting to the death of a six-year-old child in Delhi due to a dog bite, recently called the surge in cases “deeply disturbing” and took suo motu cognisance. Dog-bite incidents have tripled since 2022, and the scale of the crisis demands more than acknowledgment—it requires urgent and uncompromising action. Beyond law enforcement and municipal intervention, solutions must be comprehensive. This includes developing robust animal birth control infrastructure, ensuring timely vaccination, and instituting regular audits of implementation. Authorities must treat this as a year-round public health and civic concern—not a seasonal issue dealt with intermittently. Communities need to be more vigilant in reporting stray dog clusters, avoid feeding animals near residential clusters and schools, and supervise children closely in high-risk areas.
Fatal Bites
