Dog attack leaves elderly man injured in Ningli, Sopore; locals urge action

July 8, 2025 by News Desk

Shabir Khan

An elderly man, Bashir Ahmad Hajam, was injured in a stray dog attack in the Ningli area of Sopore on Monday, sparking concern and anger among residents over the rising dog population in the town.

Speaking to The Kashmiriyat, locals said the number of stray dogs in Ningli and surrounding areas has sharply increased in recent months, posing a serious threat—especially to children and the elderly. “It’s becoming unsafe to walk even a short distance. We’ve raised this issue several times but no action has been taken so far,” said a resident.

The growing menace has led residents to appeal for an urgent intervention from the civil administration and municipal bodies to prevent such incidents from recurring.

In response, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Sopore Municipal Council, Showkat Ahmad, told The Kashmiriyat that the process to identify land for an Animal Birth Control (ABC) facility is already underway. “We have initiated the identification of land for the development of an ABC center in coordination with the Revenue Department,” he said.

He added that once the facility is set up in consultation with the Animal Husbandry Department, it is expected to bring down the stray dog population significantly.

“Public support is equally important. Stray dogs thrive on leftover food dumped in open areas. If vendors, restaurant owners, households, and others dispose of food waste properly and hand it over to the municipal staff, it will help control the problem,” he said.

Residents now hope that both administrative action and greater community responsibility will help restore safety to the streets of Sopore.