India's Stray Dog Crisis Deepens Calling for Urgent Action

Udaipur, Aug 19, 2025 - The escalating dog bite crisis in the city and across India is becoming a major source of worry. Despite strict Court directive towards tackling the stray dogs problem, action is yet to be taken to move them to shelters. Every day, incidents of vicious dog attacks, particularly on the vulnerable, are being reported.

One such incident occurred on Sunday August 17 afternoon in Udaipur. Three dogs attacked and mauled a five-year-old child in Gautam Vihar Colony. Gauransh, son of Dinesh Sahu, was riding a play scooter outside his house when three dogs suddenly chased and attacked him. As soon as the child fell, one of the dogs mauled and bit him.

Fortunately, the child’s mother heard his cries and ran to the spot immediately otherwise the child would have suffered serious injuries.

The incident sparked panic in the entire neighbourhood. Residents called Animal Aid and other agencies, but no help arrived. The injured child had to be taken to the hospital.

In another incident in Alwar, five-year-old Yogesh Singh, was mauled by a pack of stray dogs at Sankhala village. Dogs attacked the child for about 4-5 minutes leaving him fully bloodied. He was later admitted to hospital where his condition is said to be serious. The child sustained 50 stitches on his body.

A related heartrending incident occurred in Ghaziabad. Sub-inspector Richa Sachan lost her life when a stray dog suddenly ran in front of her bike making her reportedly lose her balance and fall to the ground. Unfortunately, there was a car behind her which could not brake on time and allegedly ran her over. The 25-year-old  was rushed to hospital but was declared dead on arrival.

The incident happened at around 1:00 am on August 19 when Sachan was returning from duty at a local police station.

India is witnessing a sharp rise in dog bite incidents, with over 3.7 million cases reported in 2024 and roughly 2,000 bites occurring daily in Delhi alone, creating an alarming public health and safety crisis

The rising cases have spurred judicial intervention with both the Supreme Court and Rajasthan High Court issuing similar directives to handle this crisis. The country’s Apex Court directive, based on the “very disturbing and alarming” situation, aims to prioritise public safety, particularly of vulnerable groups — through swift removal and sheltering of stray dogs, while confronting limitations in humane animal control strategies.

Meanwhile, the Rajasthan High Court has also stepped in, mandating Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur municipal corporations to capture stray dogs and transport them to shelter homes, following a rising string of dog bite reports. Animal welfare groups are protesting, asserting that the solution lies in sterilisation, vaccination and adoption — not mass removal.

The nation currently grapples with finding equilibrium between safeguarding human lives and ensuring ethical treatment of animals. As dog bite incidents rise and lives continue to be lost or irreparably harmed, India faces a stark choice: how to strike a humane but urgent balance between protecting its people and respecting animal rights.

With Media Inputs