Stray Dogs In Pune Pose Threat To Citizens, 1500 Cases Of Dog Bites Reported Every Month
Pune, 29th March 2023: In recent times, there has been an alarming increase in incidents of dog bites in the city area, causing distress among its citizens. Approximately, 1500 such cases are being reported every month, and the veterinary department of the municipality recorded 16,569 cases of dog bites in the last year.
The PMC claims to have adequate stocks of anti-rabies vaccine and offers it for free to every dog bite victim. The PMC has 45 outpatient departments and 18 maternity homes, all of which have the vaccine. In 2021, there were 15,972 dog bite cases, in 2020 there were 12,734 cases while in 2019 there were 12,251 cases.
There were 19 deaths due to rabies in 2022, 14 in 2021, 3 in 2020, 12 in 2019 and 17 in 2018. This year there has been few deaths due to rabies till now.
The number of pet as well as stray dogs has significantly increased in the city, which poses a threat to the citizens. Stray dogs can be spotted wandering around garbage collection points, feeding spots, and internal roads, and often attack pedestrians and bikers without any provocation. Additionally, small accidents have occurred while trying to protect oneself from these dogs.
Although animal lovers feed these dogs, it has resulted in the dogs gathering at specific locations, which leads to fights between them. As a result, citizens passing by often get caught in dog fights, putting their safety at risk. Despite several complaints, the municipality has not taken any action against these dogs.
Vijay Oval, Dog Squad Coordinator at the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), stated that as soon as complaints are received, the dog team takes action. Many organizations help sterilize the dogs and control their breeding. The work of identifying feeding spots in the city is also underway.
In the city, there are approximately 3,15,000 stray dogs and 4,000 pet dogs, out of which 27,254 dogs have been sterilized. The sterilization centers are located in Vadki, Mundhwa, and Katraj.
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