With dog bite cases doubling over the last five years and the stray dog population estimated at around 2 and a half lakh, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has drawn up a Rs 37 crore plan to tackle the problem. The plan includes setting up three new dog shelters, creating 93 feeding points for stray dogs across the city, and increasing sterilisation efforts.
According to the civic administration, incidents involving dog bites or injuries caused by dogs’ nails are recorded as dog bite cases. In 2022, the city recorded 16,569 such cases, which steadily increased to 22,945 in 2023, 25,899 in 2024, and 30,613 in 2025.
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“In the previous official dog census, the stray dog population was 1.79 lakh. However, the inclusion of 32 more villages within Pune Municipal Corporation limits has increased the estimated stray dog population to around 2.5 lakh,” said Sarika Bhosale, veterinary officer of the Pune Municipal Corporation(PMC).