Editorial photo #13239722 Social Issue
Stray Dog Bite Incidents Surge Across Kashmir, India
Stray dogs roam along a road in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, on January 25, 2026. Kashmir faces an escalating stray dog crisis. Official data shows that 212,968 dog-bite cases are reported across the Union Territory between 2022 and 2025, with Srinagar district alone accounting for 36,406 cases, the highest among all districts. A recent Supreme Court directive mandates that stray dogs be vaccinated, sterilized, and tagged before being released, except in cases involving rabies or aggressive behavior. On November 7, the Supreme Court orders all States and Union Territories to remove stray dogs from public places such as schools, hospitals, and transport hubs, and relocate them to designated shelters after sterilization and vaccination under the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023, framed under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. (Photo by Firdous Nazir/NurPhoto)
