Stray dog attacks in Baramulla raise concerns; people demand action

Baramulla, Oct 20: A young girl narrowly escaped a harrowing encounter with stray dogs in Qazihamam Mohalla of Baramulla town last Thursday.

This alarming episode highlighted the growing menace of stray dogs in the region and the need for immediate intervention.

The intervention of residents proved to be the girl’s salvation.

Her desperate screams attracted the attention of locals who rushed to her rescue, preventing what could have been a tragic outcome.

Baramulla residents have been living in fear, especially during the evening hours, as the streets and alleys are increasingly populated by stray dogs.

Among the most vulnerable to these attacks are the children.

This is not an isolated incident. In June this year, 11 individuals, including three children, fell victim to dog bites in the Chandoosa area of Baramulla.

Last February, a 10-year-old boy lost his life in a stray dog mauling in the Gund Ibrahim region of Pattan.

The issue is not confined to Baramulla town alone.

In Uri, eight persons were injured in a single dog attack.

Despite the escalating dog population, authorities have failed to initiate a sterilisation programme, leaving the local population at the mercy of these unpredictable creatures.

Currently, there is no organised approach to address the stray dog problem in the Baramulla district.

The Animal Husbandry Department has expressed its readiness to provide technical support to the Municipal Council Baramulla.

However, on the ground, there seems to be no synergy between the two departments to start the sterilisation programme of stray dogs.

An official of the Municipal Council Baramulla said that they do not have separate funds to initiate the dog birth control issue.

In a step towards a solution, the Animal Husbandry Department earlier submitted a proposal to the government, outlining the need for land and a post-surgery rehabilitation programme for dogs and other animals.

However, what happened to the proposal is not known.

The Animal Husbandry Department, Baramulla, emphasised the role of the Municipal Council in capturing dogs for sterilisation and asserted that they could perform surgeries at Baramulla and Sopore hospitals.