by Umaima Reshi
SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir is steadily expanding its institutional response to the stray-dog population, with 68,346 dogs sterilised and 80,725 vaccinated under the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme, even as the administration moves to establish 20 additional centres across the Union Territory, official sources said.
Official sources said Jammu and Kashmir has an estimated 1,52,775 stray dogs. Five ABC centres are currently functional, while land has been identified in 13 districts for new facilities. The proposed expansion aims to take the programme beyond Jammu and Srinagar, which currently have most of the operational infrastructure.
The functioning centres are located at Bhagwati Nagar, Roop Nagar, SPCA Chowadhi, Tengpora and Suhama. A sixth facility at Chatterhama is partly constructed.
The figures form part of a compliance report prepared in response to directions issued by the Supreme Court in Suo Moto Writ Petition (C) No. 5 of 2025. The report was reviewed by the Chief Secretary on September 22.
The programme has shown a significant increase in activity in several districts. During the six-month period covered by the latest report, 2,963 dogs were sterilised, including 2,676 by the Jammu Municipal Corporation and 287 in Bandipora. A total of 5,013 dogs were vaccinated during the same period.
The longer district-wise record shows 5,157 sterilisations and 61,028 vaccinations. Jammu accounted for 2,552 sterilisations and 45,621 vaccinations, while Srinagar recorded 2,270 sterilisations and 1,134 vaccinations. Ganderbal recorded 9,252 vaccinations, followed by Bandipora with 1,626 and Pulwama with 970.
The administration has also begun building a dedicated manpower base for the programme. The July compliance report lists 42 veterinarians and 165 trained personnel across the Union Territory. Jammu Municipal Corporation has six veterinarians and 51 trained personnel, while Pulwama has eight veterinarians and 21 trained personnel.
The department’s summary, meanwhile, records 14 available veterinarians, 13 paraveterinary staff and 38 dog catchers, and identifies dedicated manpower as one of the remaining gaps, particularly in Srinagar.
Jammu has emerged as the principal centre of the programme. The ABC initiative there began in December 2014, and the department’s period-wise records show a sharp acceleration in sterilisation activity in recent years. The NGO currently engaged by the administration has carried out 34,646 surgeries since April 2021, according to the report.
The department puts Jammu’s sterilisation rate at around 80 per cent and proposes strengthening SPCA Chowadhi as a hub for rural Jammu. The centre has 29 kennels, while mobile teams are proposed to cover rural blocks and villages according to a scheduled programme.
Srinagar has also built up substantial capacity, with 15,266 surgeries recorded along with 15,725 vaccinations. Tengpora, which began operations in 2023, recorded 4,432 surgeries that year and 6,995 in 2024. Shuhama has also maintained operations over several years.
Following a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on August 24, the department has introduced further measures in Srinagar. A dedicated nodal officer now oversees the programme, while ward-wise sterilisation is being undertaken at the Tengpora ABC shelter and the BSF Veterinary Hospital at Humhama. The two facilities have conducted 150 surgeries since the programme’s fresh start.
The administration is also seeking to address the infrastructure gap through mobile facilities. A prefabricated mobile ABC unit, comprising an operation theatre and kennels, has been estimated at Rs 61.75 lakh. The proposal includes an 1,800-square-foot structure, surgical equipment and transportation, dismantling and reassembly costs.
Additional proposals include dog-catching vehicles and trained staff estimated at Rs 10 lakh, as well as mobile shelters or prefabricated structures for smaller urban bodies and rural local bodies estimated at Rs 57 lakh.
The programme is increasingly being supported by digital monitoring. A mobile application recorded 1,983 ABC cases between May 1, 2025 and May 31, 2026, including 1,226 from Jammu and 757 from Srinagar. The administration has also been using the STAMIS portal for reporting and monitoring.
Alongside sterilisation, the administration has mapped institutions across the Union Territory and begun a structured inspection system. As many as 45,881 institutions have been identified under the Supreme Court’s directions, including 6,312 urban and 39,569 rural institutions.
The exercise has resulted in 15,901 inspections. A uniform inspection framework was approved by the UT-level committee in November 2025, with urban local bodies, district administrations and panchayati raj institutions required to conduct quarterly inspections.
Nodal officers have been appointed in government institutions including schools, hospitals, stadia, bus depots, inter-state bus terminals and railway stations. Their responsibility includes preventing stray animals from entering institutional premises and coordinating with local authorities where incidents occur.
The administration has also created 502 designated feeding spaces, including 432 in urban areas and 70 in rural areas. Baramulla has the highest number at 82, followed by Kathua with 80 and Rajouri with 63. The designated locations are intended to provide controlled feeding away from play areas, entrances, staircases and senior citizen zones.
The department has simultaneously begun action on responsible pet ownership. Pet registration is being carried out through the Jansugham portal, with 3,015 pets registered in Jammu so far. The annual registration fee is Rs 500, with renewal costing Rs 300.
Enforcement against unauthorised pet businesses has also produced results. Ten unauthorised pet shops in Jammu and 18 in Srinagar have been sealed, while five shops in Jammu have been directed to complete the required registration and obtain the necessary clearances.
The report identifies strengthening infrastructure, manpower, digital monitoring and coordination with panchayats and district administrations as the next phase of the programme. Officials have estimated two years for closing the principal infrastructure gaps.
The overall approach marks a shift from isolated municipal action towards a Union Territory-wide system involving local bodies, veterinary teams, district administrations, panchayats and designated institutional nodal officers.
