In a positive development, stray dog attacks decline significantly in Bengaluru

The menace of stray dogs attacking people in Bengaluru is on steady decline in the city. This is a very positive development considering the safety aspects of people and preventing them from dog attacks.

There is a decreasing trend in the number of dog bite cases in Bengaluru over the past few years.

The total number of dog attack cases have gone down from over 25,000 in 2020 to 16,331 cases in 2022. In 2021, too, the number of dog bite cases reduced to 18,606. East Bengaluru has the highest number of dog bite cases in the city.

BBMP officials attribute this positive development to the efforts of local authorities, communities and healthcare organisations on putting up safety measures and creating awareness on dog menace among people in areas in the city where many incidents of dog bites are reported.

When it comes to the state, the scenario is completely different. The number of dog bite cases in Karnataka have gone up from 90,323 in 2021 to 1,63,216 in 2022. The number of dog bite cases increased by 72,893 cases in 2022 as compared to 2021.

In the last three years, 4.71 lakh people have been bitten by stray dogs.

The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India, had recently introduced the Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules, 2001, with subsequent amendments in 2010. These rules emphasised on neutering of stray dogs to stabilise their population to ensure the safety of people from dog bites and provide anti-rabies vaccination.

The Animal Welfare Board had also issued guidelines and advisories to the state governments to ensure strict implementation of the Animal Birth Control Programme in their respective states.