I Am a Dog in Kashmir Valley: Life in 2026

Rani, an indie dog in Kashmir valley resting in the snow — Dog in Kashmir: Profiled this beauty while she was sunning herself (and posing?) after another spell of snow one evening. The light was suddenly crisper, the background starker, the surroundings calmer and Rani, well, just being herself. (Courtesy: Manu)

This one is told by a Kashmiri indie. A dog who has seen more snow, more stones and more sunsets over the Dal than most of us ever will, and who has a few things to say.

My days go by meandering through meadows that media has long labelled menacing. Through terrains that spill of tyranny and terror threats, I make my way. But did I tell you that sunsets here are still splendid?

On some cold winter nights, Chenab, the old dog, from northern slopes, tells of tales she heard from her flock. How the valley was once serene. How they once sent a dog to space only to never return…

Kashmir dog Gulmarg — Image courtesy: Farhat

The Sentinels of the Snow

The dogs you see in the higher reaches of Gulmarg or Pahalgam are not ordinary street dogs. Many carry the blood of the Himalayan sheepdog (Bhutia) or the Gaddi Kutta.

Built for the cold: A dense double coat traps the heat, so they sleep out in sub-zero nights that would leave a dog from the plains shivering till dawn.
Guardians, not herders: Herding dogs move sheep. These are livestock guardian dogs, and their job is to stay with the flock and face down leopards and wolves. If you see one in a spiked iron collar, that is an old shepherd’s trick to protect the neck from a predator’s bite.

I don’t understand much of what goes around here; from people who pelt stones on my kind to the protests that are there almost every other day. At times, I am confounded as to why Gulfam shoos me away while his sister Nazia always pats my mane so kindly.

All in a home and yet so different.

Sheru and Kaali, dogs in Kashmir valley — Sheru and Kaali do not hold back the warmth and love they so innately possess. Be around a dog, in any way you can, give whatever little time that can be afforded, indulge it when you can, and prepare to feel the innumerable happy ways all the love, goodness and positivity is reciprocated. (Courtesy: Manu)

Manu, the army-man friend of mine often tells of his pets back home: Simba and Bagheera (and getting spoilt with twice the dose of dog love 24*7). On some serene evenings, the philosopher in him mulls how humans – time and again, fail to give it back to dogs the same measure of love.

Once on a laidback summer noon, he read me a story that still wells up my eyes.

Simba and Bagheera, rescue puppies from Bhimtal — Remember the cute pups from Bhimtal we had posted for adoption last year? Simba and Bagheera were adopted by Manu & Anuja.

Simba, a rescue puppy from Bhimtal adopted by Manu and Anuja

The evening is turning greyer by the minute and I smell splinters burning at a distance. Nothing like a slow burn that intensifies into a bonfire.

Go, I must.

May pandemonium make way for peace, take care!

Hope in the Valley: What’s Changing in 2026

For years, Kashmir’s dogs made the news mostly as a “menace” headline, and the numbers explain the fear. J&K recorded over 2.12 lakh dog bites in three years, while only about 49,000 dogs had been sterilised and vaccinated by early 2026, ETV Bharat reported in January. Some of that is starting to move:

Committees with a mandate: After the Supreme Court’s 2025 stray dog orders, J&K set up a UT-level committee and district committees under the Deputy Commissioners to enforce the Animal Birth Control (Dog) Rules, 2023, Greater Kashmir reported.
Vets on the ground: Veterinary assistant surgeons now lead sterilisation, vaccination and deworming drives under the ABC rules, with training from the civic bodies.
Feeding with sense: The same orders push dogs out of schools and hospitals, so feeders who pick quiet spots away from them keep both the children and the dogs out of trouble.

How to Help the Dogs of Kashmir:

Support local rescuers: Srinagar’s rescuers and animal welfare volunteers are usually the first to reach an injured indie.
Respect the Space: If you are a tourist, avoid feeding dogs near high-traffic tourist spots (like Shikara stands) as it can lead to territorial packs. Feed in quiet, designated areas.
Adopt, Don’t Buy: The Kashmiri indie is already built for the mountains. Loyal to a fault, too. If you have the space for a mountain dog, consider a local rescue over a foreign breed.

Also read: I am a dog in Vatican City…