In a decisive move concerning stray dogs, the Supreme Court of India has enforced stringent measures. Following this recent verdict, the Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation is gearing up for its implementation. Officials assert that the order will be put into action as soon as its copy is received. However, acquiring the necessary resources for implementation remains a significant challenge for the corporation.
According to Dr. Anuj Kumar, the Chief Veterinary Officer of the municipal corporation, two animal birth control centers are currently operational in the city, sterilizing around 50 dogs daily. After two or three days at the center, they are released to their original location. Experts, however, point out that managing more than 50,000 street dogs in Ghaziabad is an enormous task.
Meanwhile, dog bite incidents in Ghaziabad continue to rise, with official figures proving to be alarming. The health department reports 307,000 dog bite cases from January 2022 to July 2025, a span of approximately three years and seven months. This figure only accounts for cases documented in government hospitals.
Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Akhilesh Mohan reveals that these cases have been recorded across five community health centers (CHCs), three district hospitals, two fifty-bed hospitals, and urban primary health centers. However, the actual number of dog bites may be much higher, as many individuals seek treatment at private hospitals and clinics.
The health department data indicates that, on average, there are about 250 dog bite cases reported daily. Some of these cases even include individuals receiving their third dose of treatment. Severe incidents often involve street dogs. However, the risk of rabies significantly decreases when household dogs are vaccinated regularly.
CMO Mohan advises against taking dog bites lightly and urges immediate hospital visits for vaccination to prevent severe infections and diseases like rabies.
