Growing menace of stray dogs sparks fear among B’la residents

Baramulla, Oct 26: In a harrowing incident last week, a young girl narrowly escaped a potentially tragic encounter with stray dogs in Qazihamam Mohalla of Baramulla town.
The incident, captured on CCTV, revealed a pack of stray dogs attacking the girl, whose screams drew the attention of nearby residents. Swift intervention by the locals averted a disastrous outcome.
Local residents said that this alarming episode sheds light on the increasing menace of stray dogs in the town and outskirts, raising concerns among residents, particularly during the evening hours.
They said that the streets are becoming populated with stray dogs, instilling fear among the residents, with children and elderly being the most vulnerable to these attacks.
This is not the first such incident that has happened in Baramulla town and outskirts.
As per official records, in June of this year, 11 persons, 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.
In December 2020, a prominent lawyer in Dewanbagh, Baramulla, died after a severe mauling by stray dogs during his morning walk.
The issue extends beyond Baramulla town, with Uri witnessing eight persons injured in a single dog attack.
Despite the escalating dog population, authorities have yet to initiate a sterilization program, leaving the local population at the mercy of these unpredictable creatures.
“There is currently no organized approach to address the stray dog problem in the Baramulla district,” said a local trader Mohammad Ibrahim.
He said that people don’t even dare to go for a morning walk or an evening walk.
While the Animal Husbandry Department has expressed readiness to provide technical support to the Municipal Council Baramulla, on the ground, there appears to be no synergy between the two departments to start a sterilization program for stray dogs.
An official from the Municipal Council Baramulla cited a lack of separate funds to address the dog birth control issue.
The Animal Husbandry Department had earlier submitted a proposal to the government, outlining the need for land and a post-surgery rehabilitation program for dogs and other animals. However, the status of the proposal remains unknown.
The Animal Husbandry Department, Baramulla, emphasized the Municipal Council’s role in capturing dogs for sterilization and suggested performing surgeries at Baramulla and Sopore hospitals.
The local residents however await comprehensive action to curb the escalating threat posed by stray dogs.