1.88 lakh dog-bite cases till July, maximum in Amritsar

Punjab has recorded 1.88 lakh dog-bite incidents in the first seven months of the year, with Amritsar topping the state with 29,504 cases, according to official data.

Ludhiana with 21,777 cases and Patiala with 14,120 dog-bite incidents stood second and third respectively, the data shared by state Nodal Officer Dr Arshdeep Kaur revealed.

According to a Punjab Health and Family Welfare Department report, the state reported 2,13,521 dog-bite cases in 2024, an increase of over 11,000 from 2,02,439 incidents reported in 2023.

Alarmed by the rise in dog-bite cases, the Animal Welfare Board of India, in a letter issued on July 17, urged all states and UTs to prioritise female dog sterilisation.

The board also fixed responsibility of resident welfare associations, apartment owners and local bodies in identifying feeding spots and timings — especially keeping in mind children and senior citizens — and to assist in vaccination, catching and release of dogs.

Dr Sandeep K Jain, founder president of the People for Animals and co-opted member of the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), maintained that if 70 per cent of the dogs were sterilised, it could control their population.

He mentioned that an unscientific approach and the failure of the animal birth control (ABC) programme across Punjab had led to a surge in the population of stray dog.

While stressing the ecological role of stray dogs as scavengers and their importance in controlling rodent population, he dismissed large-scale sheltering as impractical.

“Shelters are meant for sick, ferocious or rabid dogs. Setting them up requires dedicated infrastructure for treatment, feeding and care, all of which demands special budgetary provisions,” Dr Jain said.

Dr Jain also linked the growing human-dog conflict to poor waste management, including open dumping of garbage and unregulated slaughterhouse waste.

5 deaths, no compensation

Animal Husbandry Veterinary Officer Dr Jatinder Singh said since last year, the committee has decided five cases of deaths for compensation in Patiala, but the compensation was yet to be paid.