The officials said that a total of 22,145 stray dogs have been sterilised by the Department since 2013. Dr Angmo further said that a total of 2,000 dog bite cases were registered at SNM hospital in 2022 from all over the union territory. Secretary of the Department, Ravinder Kumar, who chaired a meeting to deliberate on the issue, called for an immediate action plan to tackle the menace caused by stray dogs and assured the required financial support for implementing the plan of action.

Kumar called a meeting with all the stakeholders to discuss and develop means to ?deal with threats by stray dogs in a constructive and time-bound manner. He also stressed the need to involve the villagers and local communities in the endeavours once the plan is chalked out. Detailed deliberations were also held on controlling feral dogs causing uncountable loss to livestock.

The issue of stray dogs has been a constant and rising concern in Ladakh despite various initiatives implemented in the past years, officials said. Secretary directed municipal Committee Leh to set up an exclusive team of stray dog catchers while ensuring their safety by vaccinating them and providing them with the proper gear, and equipment.