Amritsar civic body to sterilise 20k stray dogs in 2 yrs

The Municipal Corporation targets to sterilise 20,000 dogs over the next two years.

Relaunching the sterilisation drive, Mayor Jatinder Singh Bhatti said after learning that over 300 persons turned up at government health facilities for rabies shots every day, the move was taken.

Under the programme, halted after the previous contract ended in August 2025, as many as 225 dogs were sterilised in the past one week. The renewed drive was initially launched in four wards, including 56, 58, 59 and 60, where two teams are catching stray dogs from streets and localities.

Around 25 dogs are caught and sterilised every day (except Sundays). Complaints received from other parts of the city are also being attended to, civic officials said.

The city would be given a priority, considering the number of complaints and concentration of stray dogs in its densely populated localities, added the officials.

According to civic estimates, Amritsar has around 60,000 stray dogs. The drive would be extended to other wards too, said an official.

Two teams, each comprising six dog catchers and two other members, have been assigned the task. Dogs are taken to the Animal Birth Control Centre at Narayangarh for the procedure. The centre has a capacity to accommodate around 200 dogs at a time.

The scale of the stray-dog problem is reflected in the number of dog bite cases being reported across the city.

Amritsar has witnessed several serious and fatal incidents involving stray dogs over the years. In July last year, a 70-year-old man died after being attacked by stray dogs.

The Mayor said a new tender had been floated for the sterilisation of 20,000 dogs. Priority will be given to wards where the problem is more serious,” he added.