Capital sees 26,000 dog bite cases this year; will follow SC order, say officials

New Delhi: After the Supreme Court directed that all stray dogs be shifted to shelters in Delhi, which reported over 26,000 dog bite cases this year, MCD officials said they will effectively implement the order while ensuring the animals’ living conditions.

A dedicated helpline to report stray dogs will be launched, said MCD Standing Committee chairperson Satya Sharma. However, providing land for dog shelters

in all of its zones may take some time, she said.

A total of 26,334 dog bite cases have been reported in Delhi so far this year, according to official data accessed by PTI.

Of these, 9,920 cases were recorded at Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD)

hospitals, while 15,010 were reported at its anti-rabies vaccination (ARV) centres.

MCD data shows that 68,090 dog bite cases were reported in 2024.

Following the Supreme Court order on Monday to shift stray dogs in the city to shelter homes in a time-bound manner, Delhi Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh said that the civic body is committed to tackling the issue effectively.

“We will work on the Supreme Court’s order and do everything possible to address this problem. At the same time, we are also concerned about the welfare of animals, so steps will be taken to ensure both people’s safety and better living conditions for

the animals,” he said.

Similarly, MCD Standing Committee chairperson Satya Sharma said a dedicated helpline will be launched for residents to contact the MCD to report stray dogs, after which a civic team will

pick up the animals.

She added that a plan to set up dog shelters in all 12 MCD zones will take time due to land allocation challenges.

“The matter of shelter construction is in progress, and the next meeting on this issue will be held in the coming days,” Sharma stated.

Earlier, to tackle the issue, the MCD’s standing committee formed a subcommittee on stray dog management.

In its first meeting held last month, the subcommittee decided to re-engage NGOs currently involved in the sterilisation programme and enlist more capable organisations.

The Supreme Court termed the stray dog menace in the city “extremely grim” and directed the Delhi government and civic bodies to start picking up strays from all localities at the earliest and keep them at dog shelters.

Delhi recorded 49 rabies cases till July 31 and over 35,000 animal bites in six months. More than 65,000 stray dogs were sterilised and vaccinated between January and June. Twenty NGO-run centres handle sterilisation and vaccination, while MCD hospitals currently stock 5,471 anti-rabies vaccine doses and 3,736 anti-rabies serum doses for treatment.