Baramulla, Dec 28: At least 10 people were injured after a rabid dog went on a rampage in Baramulla town on Sunday, highlighting the district’s failure to launch a stray dog control program despite recording over 18,500 bite cases in three years.
The injured were rushed to GMC Baramulla and other health centres in the town, where they were administered anti-rabies vaccine and provided necessary treatment. Some of those shifted to GMC Baramulla have been identified as Vicky, Shazia, Aliya, Mannat, Harleen Kour and Rifat.
According to witnesses, the rabid dog appeared around noon on Jadeed Road and started attacking pedestrians, including women. The incident created panic in the town, with people running for safety.
A group of local youths bravely managed to restrain the dog by covering it with a plastic container and kept it confined for several hours. Later, a team from Municipal Council Baramulla arrived and captured the animal, much to the relief of local residents.
Jammu and Kashmir has recorded a staggering 2,12,968 cases of dog bites between 2022 and 2025, with Jammu and Srinagar districts accounting for the highest numbers.
According to data from the Housing and Urban Development Department, Jammu division reported 98,470 dog bite cases, while Kashmir division recorded 1,14,498 cases during the three-year period. In Kashmir division, Baramulla has recorded 18,563 dog bite cases in these three years.
While Srinagar Municipal Corporation has launched a comprehensive sterilisation and immunization drive under the Animal Birth Control and Anti-Rabies Vaccination Programme in line with Animal Birth Control Rules 2023, no such initiative has been launched in Baramulla district.
In the absence of such an initiative, the population of stray dogs has increased manifold and complaints are pouring in from different parts of the district about the uncontrolled stray dog population creating panic.
Feroz Ahmad, a resident of Old Town Baramulla, expressed concern over the authorities’ inability to check the dog population. “The growing population of stray dogs is a big concern for people of the town,” he said.