Home / India News / Dog bite cases in India see almost 70% jump in three years, shows data
Dog bite cases in India see almost 70% jump in three years, shows data
Alongside the rise in dog bite incidents, deaths caused by rabies also witnessed a sharp increase during the period under review, although the reasons behind this trend may vary
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Increasing stray dog population and cases of dog bites have led to public safety concerns in several urban agglomerates in the country, and the question of controlling stray dog population in some instances have become an emotive political issue. (Ph
4 min read Last Updated : Apr 08 2025 | 12:35 AM IST
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Dog bite cases across India rose by nearly 70 per cent between 2022 and 2024, according to data recently shared in Parliament. The increase in such cases was observed in almost all states.
The figures were based on data from the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Alongside the rise in dog bite incidents, deaths caused by rabies also witnessed a sharp increase during the period under review, although the reasons behind this trend may vary.
Increasing stray dog population and cases of dog bites have led to public safety concerns in several urban agglomerates in the country, and the question of controlling stray dog population in some instances have become an emotive political issue.
In its manifesto for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the Congress said that the “menace of stray dogs has acquired alarming proportions”. It said “solutions will be found that will protect humans (especially children) and that are consistent with humanitarian approach to animals”.
More recently, former Union minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Vijay Goel has launched a “countrywide” campaign to make the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023, stringent. Over the past week, a Goel-led outfit put up posters and hoardings across Delhi and its nearby areas, and advertised in newspapers, seeking to build public opinion on the issue.
Goel said thousands from across Delhi and its nearby cities, such as Gurugram and Noida, have shared their feedback on the issue of stray dogs overpopulation and risks to humans. He said he has held meetings in Pune as well. “I am not against dogs but dog bites. The so-called animal lovers are not willing to adopt even a single stray dog. The biggest victims of these stray dogs are children and the elderly,” he said.
Stray dog overpopulation has become a challenge in Goa, Bengaluru, Pune, and several cities and towns, with the courts and National Human Rights Commission periodically instructing civic bodies to be more proactive in dealing with it.
In a Parliament reply, the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying said that the intensive implementation of the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme by local bodies is the only rational and scientific solution to street dog overpopulation and the control of rabies incidents.
“Dogs are sterilised and released back to their original habitats, and since dogs are territorial, they stay in their locality and do not allow dogs from other neighbouring areas to come in,” the reply stated. These dogs are also vaccinated annually so they are protected from rabies, and even if they bite accidentally, they may not transmit rabies, it added.
The Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) has also published a revised ABC module aimed at managing the street dog population, eradicating rabies and reducing human-dog conflict, the ministry said.
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Dog Bite Cases Between 2022 and 2025 (Jan-Dec)* |
*As per Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP)
** Change between 2022 and 2024
Topics : Dogs Dog buried alive Rabies