Srinagar, Feb. 7 -- The streets of Jammu and Kashmir today tell a troubling story; one not of traffic snarls or civic chaos, but of an unchecked menace that has quietly grown into a public health emergency. Stray dogs, once seen as part of the everyday fabric of towns and villages, have now become a source of fear and suffering for thousands of residents across the Union Territory. The sheer scale of dog bite incidents reported over the past two years; more than two lakh cases; highlights the gravity of the crisis.

Jammu district has emerged as the epicentre, accounting for over 76,000 cases in just two years, while Srinagar follows with more than 35,000. Every district, whether in the plains of Jammu or the valleys of Kashmir, has repor...