71% citizens surveyed say attacks by stray dogs and pet dogs are common in their area/district/city; Demand Central Government undertake this issue in mission mode like Swachh Bharat

July 5, 2025, New Delhi: A total of 26,99,850​ animal bite cases were registered across the country in 2024, out of which around 20% of victims are children below 15 years, Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Rajiv Ranjan Singh Alias Lalan Singh, informed Lok Sabha in February. Out of the total, around 22 lakhs were dog bite cases. The animal bites resulted in 48 deaths. The large number of animal biting cases show that India is far away from its target to achieve rabies free India by 2030.

In fact, a little girl undergoing rabies treatment after a dog bite died in Kerala last month. Very often news of children being mauled by stray dogs in different parts of the country is reported but no serious effort is being made by local authorities to address the menace. The menace of stray dogs often comes into the spotlight after people being attacked, particularly small children and elderly being mauled, gets reported.

It is not only stray dogs but often pet dogs have been reported to have attacked people. Despite several civic authorities imposing fines on owners of pets attacking people, the problem shows no sign of being tackled humanely. People who face the menace of ferocious stray dogs, who by law are not allowed to be displaced though they can be neutered, rightfully protest but there appears to be no one to heed them.

Based on the recommendations of an expert committee last year, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying banned import and breeding of a list of ‘ferocious’ dogs to curb the menace of dog bites. In the process, the government has ignored the problem posed by street dogs who are known to attack people, including in packs.

In March 2024, the Delhi High Court expressed concerns regarding people feeding stray dogs which is making them territorial and leads them to attack people who enter “their territory”. Last month, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has assured that her government is “working on solving the problems due to stray dogs. The issues involve both the people as well as the speechless animals”. The proposal is to create a platform to bring together the residents as well as those who care for these animals. “There is a law, and the stray dogs cannot be kept in shelters or displaced from the streets where they live,” Gupta has stated.

LocalCircles has conducted a survey to get citizens' views on what they feel is the right solution to manage and contain stray animal problems, most of which are abandoned in the cities creating several problems including accidents. The survey received over 11,000 responses from citizens located in 362 districts of India. 67% respondents were men while 33% respondents were women. 47% respondents were from tier 1, 32% from tier 2 and 21% respondents were from tier 3, 4 and rural districts.

71% of citizens say attacks by stray dogs and pet dogs are common in their area/district/city

The survey first asked, “Are attacks by stray and/or pet dogs on citizens an issue in your area/district/city?” The question received 12,985 responses with 55% stating “Yes, attacks by stray dogs are common”; 3% of respondents stating “Yes, attacks by pet dogs are common”; 13% of respondents stating “Yes, attacks by both stray dogs and pet dogs are common”; 24% of respondents stating “No, such attacks by both stray and pet dogs are non-existent or rare” and 5% of respondents did not give a clear response. To sum up, 71% citizens surveyed say attacks by stray dogs and pet dogs are common in their area/district/city. 68% say attacks by stray dogs are common while 16% say attacks by pet dogs are also common.

People demand immediate solutions for stray animal menace; Want Government to undertake this in mission mode, provide funding to local bodies to build and operate stray animal shelters as well as have specific rules on feeding of stray animals

Given the many suggestions and counter action plans that have been followed half-heartedly, the survey asked, “What are all the actions that the government of India must take to improve stray animal management in the country?” Some among the 11,445 who responded to this query indicated more than one option with the largest group of 53% indicating that there is need to “enable funding for all municipalities and panchayats for stray animal management infrastructure and operations. Among the other options, 47% of respondents indicated “create specific rules on permissible feeding of stray animals and what is non-permissible”; 39% indicated “create a stray animal welfare mission and allocated funds to it”; 32% of respondents favour the idea of “encouraging CSR funding to flow into stray animal welfare projects”; 24% indicated “create a ministry for stray animal welfare with necessary resources”; and 13% of the respondents indicated “other things” not mentioned above. In addition, 3% of the respondents stated, “none of the above should be done and let the stray animals be how they are”; 3% gave no clear response opting for “can’t say”. To sum up, people demand immediate solutions for stray animal menace; Want Government to undertake this in mission mode, provide funding to local bodies to build and operate stray animal shelters as well as have specific rules on feeding of stray animals.

In summary, 71% of citizens surveyed say attacks by stray dogs and pet dogs are common in their area/district/city. As such, there is a growing demand from people that the authorities should act and find immediate solutions for stray animal menace. They want the government to undertake this in mission mode, provide funding to local bodies to build and operate stray animal shelters as well as have specific rules on feeding stray animals. To start with, as 53% of respondents favour, the government both central and states, should “enable funding for all municipalities and panchayats for stray animal management infrastructure and operations”. Just getting stray animals out of big cities is no longer a solution as growing towns and cities also need to be free of this increasing problem as do villages. Cases of dog bites in small towns, cities and villages, which have become dumping grounds of city waste, are creating more problems locally without adding stray animal issues. As has been seen in the past, creating goshalas with no monitoring can create a bigger problem for the animals and as such there must be some accountability. LocalCircles plans to share the survey with the policy makers in the expectations that it will lead to better management of stray animals.

Survey Demographics

The survey received over 24,000 responses from citizens located in 366 districts of India. 67% respondents were men while 33% respondents were women. 47% respondents were from tier 1, 26% from tier 2 and 27% respondents were from tier 3, 4 and rural districts. The survey was conducted via LocalCircles platform, and all participants were validated citizens who had to be registered with LocalCircles to participate in this survey.