Peerzada Umer
Srinagar, Jun 20: The Kashmir Valley is grappling with an unprecedented surge in animal bite cases, reporting the highest annual figures to date between June 2024 and May 2025.
According to data from the Anti-Rabies Clinic (ARC) at Shri Maharaja Hari Singh (SMHS) Hospital, Srinagar, a staggering 12,833 animal bite incidents were recorded during this period, including 6,258 dog bites and 6,095 cat bites, with the remainder attributed to other animals.
Prof. Shahzada Mohammad Salim Khan, Professor & Head of the Community Medicine Department at Government Medical College (GMC), Srinagar said that every year, on average, four to five deaths occur in Kashmir due to dog bites, and 98 percent of the cases that the hospital receives are due to stray dogs, with children often at the receiving end.
The persistent menace of stray dogs in the Kashmir Valley has evolved into a significant public health crisis. The ARC of SMHS Hospital has logged 6,258 dog bite cases in just one year, averaging more than 17 cases every day. These numbers are the highest ever reported in the Valley’s recorded history.
The annual data paints a concerning picture. From June 2024 to May 2025, the monthly reported dog bite cases in the Kashmir Valley were as follows: June saw 530 cases, July 598, August 521, September 515, October 540, November 423, December 439, January 480, February 463, March 524, April 625, and May 601. Looking at the annual figures for dog bite cases over the past decade, the numbers stood at 7,061 in 2015–16, 5,832 in 2016–17, 6,802 in 2017–18, 6,397 in 2018–19, 6,139 in 2019–20, 4,808 in 2020–21, 5,469 in 2021–22, 6,875 in 2022–23, approximately 8,800 in 2023–24, and 6,258 dog bites recorded for 2024–25.Over the last decade, the total number of dog and cat bites in the Valley has approached 70,000 cases.
“The data reveals a worrying trend: children are disproportionately affected by dog bites, with 98 percent of dog-bite cases involving stray dogs. This places a significant burden on families and the healthcare system, especially as rabies is nearly always fatal once symptoms appear,” Dr Khan said.
He added that the severity of the rabies disease and the importance of prompt action must be understood by the common masses “People should not ignore any bite or scratch incident and get vaccinated immediately. The number of cases coming to the ARC of SMHS has increased manifold in the last three years. There is a dire need for public awareness and vaccination.”
Furthermore, the Valley’s decade-long upward trajectory in animal bites is a cause for grave concern. From around 7,000 annual dog bite cases a decade ago, the figures have fluctuated but demonstrate a clear upward trend, peaking at around 8,800 in 2023–24 before the current year’s numbers.
