SRINAGAR, NOV 07: A decade after the implementation of Animal Birth Control (ABC) measures in Srinagar, there has been a notable acceleration in efforts to control the stray dog population, with an impressive milestone of 5,000 dog sterilizations accomplished in the past four months.
This achievement amounts to approximately 5% of the estimated total stray dog population in the Valley.
Commissioner of SMC, Athar Amir, emphasized the significant improvement in the pace of sterilization in Srinagar and expressed optimism about the completion of sterilization in additional municipal wards next year.
This is a considerable increase compared to previous years when the efforts were limited by capacity constraints.
The ABC program was initiated in Kashmir in 2013, with the first center located in Srinagar’s Shuhama. This initial facility had 50 kennels and could sterilize only five to ten dogs per day. At that time, officials estimated the stray dog population to be between 50,000 and 60,000.
However, after the establishment of a second ABC center at Tengpora with 210 kennels, authorities have been able to perform 60 to 70 sterilizations daily. Over the past decade, approximately 3,000 sterilizations were conducted, but in the last four months alone, an impressive average of 70 surgeries per day has been achieved across the two centers.
The responsibility for this critical work has been entrusted to an external agency that provides both the manpower and expertise needed to capture, sterilize, and safely return the canines to their respective areas.
Each year, the Kashmir Valley witnesses a significant number of dog bite cases, primarily affecting children and the elderly. In the 2022-2023 period, the region recorded 6,800 animal bite cases, with over 80% attributed to stray dogs. Official data revealed that from April 1, 2022, to March 31, 2023, 6,855 animal bite cases were treated at the anti-rabies clinic at Government Medical College (GMC) and Srinagar’s Shri Maharaja Hari Singh (SMHS) Hospital, with 4,912 of these cases originating in the city alone. These figures highlight the urgency of addressing the stray dog population issue and the success of the accelerated sterilization efforts in the region.
