DOG MENACE: When Fear Waits Outside the Door
My pre-dawn encounter with stray dogs that reflects a growing public health and governance challenge
Dr Fiaz Fazili
At 4.25 a.m. today, I reached for the latch of my front door, preparing to leave for the Fajr prayer. The door opened barely six inches before instinct told me not to move another step.A pack of stray dogs stood just outside my gate. Scattered across the lane were the remains of a sheep’s skin, probably dragged there during the night.
An elderly, living with metabolic syndrome, I no longer have the confidence to outrun an aggressive dog, nor the balance to risk a fall. For a moment, I wondered whether I should abandon the idea of joining the mandatory congregational prayer.My neighbour, Fxxxxx Sahib, a senior government officer who usually accompanies me to the mosque every morning, was nowhere to be seen.Armed only with a foldable walking stick, I clapped loudly, shouted “Hoo… Haa…” and cautiously moved forward. The dogs reluctantly retreated a few metres, allowing me just enough space to proceed.
On returning from the mosque, I found Sahib standing at his gate.“I could not come,” he said. “The dogs were here throughout the night. None of us slept. I simply wasn’t prepared to step outside.”That brief conversation lasted less than a minute. Yet it perfectly captured the daily reality faced by thousands of Kashmiris.This is no longer about barking dogs or occasional inconvenience.It is about fear.Children hesitate to walk alone to school or tuition classes. Elderly citizens postpone morning walks and congregational prayers. Women returning home after sunset become anxious while crossing streets occupied by packs of dogs. Milk vendors, sanitation workers, newspaper distributors and delivery personnel negotiate their way through barking packs before they can begin their day’s work.
Another resident ,Sajad sahib, a young man with athletic physique , says residing in our locality too has repeatedly approached the concerned authorities. Complaints have been lodged. Phone calls have been made. Dog-catching vans I never saw in my locality., probably they came at time when I was out in clinic.The obvious question remains unanswered.Why is the stray dog population continuing to grow despite repeated assurances that the situation is under control?The statistics themselves demand urgent attention
Official figures presented in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly reveal that 206,460 dog-bite cases were reported across the Union Territory during 2024 and 2025. Srinagar alone accounted for more than 35,000 bite cases, making it one of the worst-affected districts.These are not merely numbers. Every statistic represents a frightened child, an injured pedestrian, an anxious family rushing to an emergency department, or an elderly citizen wondering whether tomorrow’s morning walk is worth the risk.
The Srinagar Municipal Corporation has previously estimated the city’s stray dog population at over 64,000. They did good job but then stopped perhaps dog lovers resistance was overwhelming. Despite sterilisation and vaccination programmes, visible packs continue to dominate many residential colonies, markets, parks and tourist destinations.The issue deserves to be viewed through the lens of public health rather than emotion.
Dog bites are medical emergencies. Every bite requires immediate wound care, anti-rabies vaccination and, in many cases, rabies immunoglobulin. Besides physical injuries, attacks leave psychological scars, particularly among children. For elderly citizens, even a minor chase can result in fractures, head injuries or life-threatening complications from falls.
As a surgeon, I have spent locally, nationally , internationally decades treating preventable injuries. Prevention is always more humane, less expensive and far more effective than treating the consequences after tragedy strikes.Yet the solution lies beyond hospitals.This is fundamentally a sanitation issue. Overflowing garbage bins, open dumping of household waste, discarded food, slaughterhouse refuse and animal remains provide an abundant food supply that sustains large stray dog populations. Vacant plots, abandoned buildings and construction sites become breeding grounds. Unless these environmental drivers are addressed, simply relocating or sterilising a limited number of dogs by SMC no way cannot produce lasting results.This is also a governance issue.
Municipal authorities, the Animal Husbandry Department, the Health Department, veterinary services, urban planners and local communities cannot continue working hard in isolation. The challenge requires a coordinated, science-based strategy with clearly defined responsibilities and measurable outcomes.
A sustainable response should include scientific sterilisation, universal anti-rabies vaccination, rigorous waste management, proper disposal of slaughter waste, identification of breeding hotspots, rapid-response teams for aggressive dog complaints and periodic publication of progress reports. Transparency builds public confidence.
Citizens too have responsibilities. Feeding stray dogs without ensuring their sterilisation and vaccination may be well intentioned, but it unintentionally contributes to the problem. Compassion for animals and concern of “ uncles and aunties ,” for human safety are not mutually exclusive. A civilised society must protect both.
Tourists , and now since AIRB notice the problem as well.Visitors from across India and abroad frequently marvel at Kashmir’s breathtaking beauty but express concern over the large number of stray dogs roaming streets, parks, markets and even major tourist attractions. A region celebrated as “Paradise on Earth” should not acquire an avoidable reputation for something that reflects deficiencies in civic management rather than nature itself.If we fail to address this challenge with urgency, the danger is not merely an increase in dog bites. The greater loss will be to Srinagar’s reputation. We want visitors to describe Kashmir as the City of Gardens, Lakes and Hospitality—not whisper that it has become the “City of Stray Dogs.” That is an image no proud Kashmiri should accept.
We often measure governance through roads, bridges, parks and illuminated boulevards. Those achievements certainly matter. Equally important, however, is whether an elderly citizen can leave home before dawn without carrying a stick for protection.The true measure of a city’s liveability is not how impressive it appears during official visits but how safe its weakest citizens feel when no one is watching.What pains residents most is the growing feeling of helplessness. Many sceptics have resigned themselves to believing that meaningful action will begin only after a prominent person, a visiting dignitary or a tourist becomes the next victim.
I refuse to accept that conclusion. I still believe there are conscientious officers, elected representatives and administrators who are efficient, recognise that this is a genuine public concern deserving immediate attention. Tomorrow morning, before sunrise, thousands of Kashmiris will once again open their doors for Fajr prayers, morning walks, work and school.
I must confess something. This is not the first time I have written about the stray dog menace. Over the years, I have penned several articles, submitted representations and appealed to the authorities. The response, if I am honest, has often been painfully slow. There were moments when I wondered whether writing made any difference at all. Yet, this morning, after returning safely from the mosque, I found myself sitting down to write once again. I cannot fully explain why. Perhaps it is because giving up is easier than trying. Perhaps it is because every meaningful change begins with someone refusing to accept that a problem is too old or too difficult to solve. Or perhaps it is because I still believe that among our administrators, elected representatives and fellow citizens are people who care enough to act.
I reiterate strongly, before pointing fingers solely at the concerned departments, we must look in the mirror. Stray dogs do not multiply in a vacuum. We unknowingly sustain them. Every day, household food waste, leftover Wazwan, Qurbani, discarded meat scraps, sheep skins, intestines and offal from home slaughter, garbage thrown into open spaces, overflowing community bins, used diapers, old clothes , shors, biomedical waste and other refuse become a ready buffet for roaming dogs. Every uncovered waste pile becomes a feeding station; every feeding station attracts more dogs; every pack finds a reason to remain, breed and defend its territory.No municipal agency, however efficient, can permanently solve the problem if citizens continue to provide an endless food supply. This is a classic cycle: food attracts dogs, dogs multiply, complaints increase, a few dogs are removed, more food remains, and the cycle begins again.
Civic responsibility, therefore, is as important as civic administration. Waste must be segregated, stored properly and handed over only through authorised collection systems. Illegal dumping of slaughter waste and food refuse should attract substantial penalties. The law must be enforced consistently, not selectively. A city cannot aspire to be clean, healthy and tourist-friendly while tolerating practices that directly fuel a preventable public health hazard.Public awareness, strict enforcement and community participation must work together. Without changing our own behaviour, expecting a different outcome is unrealistic.They deserve to be welcomed by the silence of dawn—not by fear waiting outside the gate.Ensuring that simple freedom may well be one of the most fundamental responsibilities of any responsive civic administration.
(Author is a Resident of Gulberg colony , a senior and concerned citizen)
