Sri Lanka, Nov. 13 -- The Animal Welfare Association (AWA) has warned that the number of dog bites reported annually in Sri Lanka has surpassed 250,000, highlighting the urgent need for a formal dog sterilization program to control the growing canine population.

At a media briefing in Kandy, Champa Fernando, Executive Committee Member of the AWA, stressed that controlling the increasing dog population has become a critical public safety and health issue.

Gihan Dinushka, Executive Member of the association, elaborated on the scale of the problem. "We estimate that Sri Lanka has between 2 and 3 million street dogs. While a definitive census has not been conducted, we calculate approximately one dog for every eight people," he said.

Dinus...