In 7 months, 7K dog bite cases reported in Ludhiana

In March, 10-year-old Sanjeev Kumar lost his life at Mohi village after being bitten by a stray dog.

In one of the most horrifying incidents, six-year-old Aditya was mauled to death by dogs on Tajpur Road on April 1.

In 2024, Ludhiana registered 13,488 dog bite cases — highest tally in five years. As of June, 7,067 cases have already been reported, with July alone contributing 580 dog bite cases.

Data from the civil hospital’s anti-rabies clinic revealed that around 40-50 dog bite cases were being reported on a daily basis. The numbers may be much higher, considering cases treated at private clinics go unrecorded.

Despite these shocking figures, the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation (MC) claimed that its sterilisation programme was operational.

Dr Vipul Malhotra, Veterinary wing of the Ludhiana MC, said, “We started sterilisation in 2015 and resumed it again in 2021. Around 1.5 lakh dogs have been sterilised so far, each also given an anti-rabies vaccine.”

The residents argued that sterilisation alone wasn’t enough. “Stray dogs need shelter and food, otherwise they’ll continue to roam and attack out of aggression or hunger,” said Harish Kumar, city resident.

Another resident, Karan Rai, added, “As stray dogs often attack pedestrians and those driving two-wheelers, people think twice to venture out.”

Adding to the public frustration is the stalled dog sanctuary. The project was inaugurated on May 21 ahead of the Ludhiana (West) bypoll, aimed to house 2,500 stray dogs. However, the construction hasn’t begun and objections from dairy farmers over potential nuisance from the shelter remain unresolved.

The site is located next to the MC’s night shelter at the dairy complex of Hambran Road and aims to provide medical care, housing, spaying and neutering services, anti-rabies vaccine and rehabilitation.

Mayor Inderjit Kaur said the project had reached the tendering stage and the construction work would commence soon.

Gopal, who was bitten by the dog, said, “The authorities need to act fast. We’re tired of living in fear.”

Meanwhile, the Health Department has now extended its free anti-rabies vaccination (ARV) to all 94 Aam Aadmi Clinics across Ludhiana district. The move is aimed at providing swift and accessible medical care for animal bite victims.

  Rabies 100% lethal

In Amritsar city, around 20 dog bite cases are reported daily at the anti-rabies clinic situated at Government Medical College

Despite the Municipal Corporation sterilising 27,000 strays dogs since 2022, newborns can be seen roaming on the roadsides and parks

Dr Sandeep, In-charge of the anti-rabies clinic, pointed out that rabies is 100 per cent lethal and dog bite victims should seek medical attention at the earliest