Dog bites cases in India
Stray dogs problem across the world Animal Birth control rules (ABC rules), 2023
December 2024
5.20 lakh dog bites in 2 years in Odisha
- recorded 5.20 lakh dog bites between 2023 and 2024
- average of 23,647 per month
- most of these incidents involve stray dogs
- "Animal birth control rules, 2023" - local urban bodies in collaboration with org holding projects recognition certificates from animal welfare board of India are carrying out sterilisation of stray dogs
- in 2022-2023, 4,605 dogs were sterilised
- Last animal census conducted in 2019, showed 17.34 lakh stray dogs. 1
May 2025
Kerala seeks to change the ABC rules
- Animal Birth control rules (ABC rules), 2023
- State data shows that 3.17 lakh people sought treatment from government hospitals in 2024 for dog bite related cases
- Demand to the Union government to amend the ABC rules to make it less stringent
- The state has more than 900 ABC centres, but because of the new rules, many have to closed down.
- Another problem is opposition from local people and animal lovers and NGOs. 2
July 2025
SC on petition to protect the animal feeders
- SC bench on july 15, for a petition filed by a noida resident, against the order by Allahabad High Court, on march 3rd.
- Seeking directions to noida authority, and other not to harass her and other feeders who feed community dogs and animals in her society and outside.
- States that feeding animals are in line with Animal Birth control rules (ABC rules), 2023, under Article 20.
Bombay HC banned public feeding
- Remarks on November 2022, by Nagpur bench of the high court of Bombay were expunged by SC. It stayed the order banning public feeding of street dogs and directed the authority not to take any coercive step against any one in pursuance of the order passed by the bench. It also put in abeyance the HC's observation, that persons who feed street dogs much adopt them.
WHO about rabies vaccination
- The Technical report series 931, of the WHO's expert consultation on Rabies, in 2004 states that, "Since 1960s, ABC programmes coupled with rabies vaccination have been advocated as a method to control urban street male and female dog populations and ultimately human rabies in Asia."
- 99% of human rabies are caused by bites of infected dogs.
India's National Action plan for Dog Mediated Rabies Elimination by 2030
- proposed a mass dog vaccination as the way forward in 2018
- plan has stated that vaccinating 70% of dogs and sustaining the efforts for 3 years can eliminate rabies
- WHO also recognised this plan as cost effective strategy
- Example: Goa - reduced monthly canine rabies cases by 92% after vaccinating 70% of the dogs.
August 2025
Not to be returned
Not a single dog picked up shall be released back on streets or public spaces - Supreme Court on August 11, 2025
TN vs Odisha
Tamilnadu suffers from nearly 1,900 bites for every 1,000 dogs Odisha suffers only 100 bites for every 1,000 dogs
India has a dog counting problem
The most recent was Livestock Census of 2019
- Tamil Nadu - 4.4 lakh stray dogs
- Data from Integrated Disease Surveillance Platform recorded 8.3 lakh dog bites
- in other words, two dog bites for every stray dog in the state
- Manipur has no stray dogs
- yet reported, 5,500 dog bites
- 5.20 lakh dog bites in 2 years in Odisha December 2024
- 2nd highest number of dogs among all states
- but recorded only 1.7 lakh bites
Delhi specific dog census was conducted in 2016.
November 2025
Remove stray dogs from public places : Supreme Court
- ordered to submit compliance reports within 8 weeks, detailing the remedial measures undertaken
MCD to construct dogs shelters
- Delhi does not yet have an operational large scale dog shelters
- A 2.5 acre plot has been identified at MCD's Dwarka animal birth control centre for building one that can house 1,000 to 1,500 dogs.
- The most sustainable approach is in situ management - maintaining vaccinated, sterilised and monitored dogs within campuses.
