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Stray Dog Bites Surge In India

A stray puppy plays with its mother dog as people walk along a road in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, on May 21, 2026. India's Supreme Court on May 19, 2026, declines to modify its November 7, 2025, order directing all states and union territories to remove stray dogs from high-footfall public areas such as hospitals, schools, railway stations, and bus terminals. The court also clarifies that stray dogs cannot be reintroduced into these institutional spaces even after being vaccinated and sterilized. India reports millions of dog-bite cases each year, with more than 480,000 cases and at least 42 rabies-related deaths recorded in parts of the country during the first months of 2026 alone. 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. (Photo by Firdous Nazir/NurPhoto)

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