Pune’s Stray Dog Crisis: 81 Bites A Day, But The City Stays Rabies-Free—Stray Menace Spirals Out Of Control!
Pune is witnessing a growing menace of stray dogs, with an alarming average of 81 dog bite cases reported every day. Citizens going for morning walks, children playing outside their homes, and late-night commuters on bicycles or two-wheelers are increasingly becoming victims of sudden dog attacks.
As per the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), the number of stray dogs in the city stood at approximately 1.89 lakh in 2023. With the addition of newly incorporated villages, this figure has risen to 2.25 lakh. However, NGOs estimate the actual number to be between 2.5 to 3 lakh. The increasing number of dog bites highlights the urgent need for more effective implementation of the sterilization and vaccination campaigns.
Cases So Far
According to the report of 2024, a total of 25,899 citizens were bitten by dogs across Pune. The health department reported 2,709 cases in January, 2,309 in February, and 2,359 in March 2025. While the city has remained free of rabies so far, the increasing bite cases have raised concerns among residents and authorities.
PMC allocates funds annually for the sterilization of stray dogs, enabling surgeries on approximately 20,000 dogs. This year, the target is to sterilize 40,000 to 50,000 dogs, with each thousand surgeries costing between ₹1,500 to ₹1,650. Rabies vaccination drives are also conducted with the support of NGOs like the Blue Cross Society, People for Animals, and the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Dr. Sarika Funde, Veterinary Officer of PMC, said, "Efforts are going to keep Pune rabies-free. We have launched various awareness drives for vaccination and sterilization. The implementation of Animal Birth Control (ABC) is effective in the city. The cases reflected in data are high because even if people get a scratch from a pet’s nail it is reported as a dog bite. Dog bites are there, but minor cases are also reported as dog bites due to which the figures are high."
Stray dogs have also been causing nighttime disturbances in various areas, often howling in groups. While PMC staff, in collaboration with NGOs, are working to catch, sterilize, and vaccinate these animals before releasing them back to their original locations, rapid urban expansion, unmanaged garbage, and residents feeding stray dogs have also made the situation harder to control.
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