India intensifies stray dog control after 3.7 million bite cases reported

The Central government has intensified its efforts to manage the stray dog population and reduce dog bite incidents across the country. 

According to data presented in the Lok Sabha by Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, SP Singh Baghel, India reported 3.7 million (37,17,336) dog bite cases and 54 suspected human rabies deaths in 2024.

Municipalities, under Article 243(W), are mandated to implement the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Programme, focusing on neutering and anti-rabies vaccination of stray dogs.

To streamline this, the government notified the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023, superseding the earlier 2001 rules.

These new rules incorporate Supreme Court and Delhi High Court directives, including guidelines for feeding and care of community animals. The Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) has issued multiple advisories to ensure effective street dog population control and promote man-dog conflict resolution.

Between 2024 and June 2025, 166 letters were sent to RWAs and local bodies to ensure compliance.

On the health front, the Ministry of Health is implementing the National Rabies Control Programme (NRCP), which includes setting up Model Anti-Rabies Clinics, ensuring vaccine availability, and launching the "Rabies-Free City" initiative.

Additionally, the Centre has allocated Rs 3,535.86 lakh over the past five years for anti-rabies vaccine procurement under the ASCAD scheme, including Rs 1,423.41 lakh in 2024-25 for over 80 lakh doses. The government has also urged States/UTs to adopt the ABC Programme through local bodies to enhance public safety, particularly for children.

The Department of Animal Husbandry conducts a five-year livestock census, which includes stray dogs, while municipalities have been advised to conduct annual local censuses under the ABC Rules.

The Centre’s comprehensive approach aims to address both public health and animal welfare in tackling the growing stray dog issue.

Last week, a shocking case of animal cruelty has surfaced in Madurai, where a community dog was brutally attacked with heavy bricks on Velayutham Pillai Street in Goripalayam.

A disturbing video of the incident, which quickly went viral on social media, prompted immediate action from animal rights activists and the Madurai City Police.

Acting on a complaint, police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against two unidentified individuals involved in the attack -- one who hurled the bricks and another who assisted him in fleeing the scene.

Officials are currently reviewing CCTV footage from the area to identify the culprits.

The FIR has been registered under Sections 324(4) and 325 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, and Section 11(1)(a) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960.

Indo-Asian News Service