Rawalpindi: Mounting fear over an unchecked stray dog population has sparked widespread public alarm across Rawalpindi, as residents voice deep concern for safety in urban and suburban neighborhoods amid a total absence of rabies immunization at privately run healthcare facilities.
Locals have appealed to municipal and cantonment authorities to execute immediate stray dog control drives to secure public streets and residential sectors.
“Packs of stray dogs roam freely through residential streets, making it extremely dangerous for school-going children and the elderly to step outside during early morning and late evening hours,” said local resident Usman Raja.
Exacerbating public panic, a spot survey conducted by reporter across private hospitals and pharmacies within hospitals at random, in Rawalpindi Cantonment revealed a complete stockout of Anti-Rabies Vaccine (ARV), leaving bite victims unable to secure emergency treatment at private medical centers. Hospitals located on main Peshawar Road were found completely without the ARV.
Contrarily, District Health Officer (DHO) Dr. Hafiz Jawad Zahid told reporter in an exclusive interaction that government facilities remain fully prepared to handle all animal bite incidents.
“All public-sector THQ hospitals and tertiary care units across the district maintain complete, free stocks of Anti-Rabies Vaccine and Anti-Snake Venom,” Dr. Jawad said, urging citizens to seek immediate medical intervention at public hospitals.
Official health records for September 2026 reflect 124 dog bite cases across regional THQ hospitals, with Taxila registering 48 cases, Kahuta 44, and Kallar Syedan 32, alongside 17 total snakebite incidents district-wide.
With human lives and child safety directly at risk from vector and animal threats, residents urge municipal, health, and cantonment administrators to move beyond reactive clinical treatment by deploying joint field operations, systematic stray dog management, and neighborhood sanitation measures before the crisis escalates further.
Citizen criticised private hospitals and their pharmacies for unavailability of ARVs. They appealed health authorities to launch a campaign on regular monitoring if private hospitals’ pharmacy to ensure all types of vaccines.