Survey Says: 79% Of Indians Believe Stray Dog Attacks Are ‘Common’ In Their Areas

A recent pan-India survey conducted by LocalCircles has found that 79% of people feel that attacks by stray dogs are common in their localities, up from 61% last year. The survey gathered responses from over 53,000 residents in 326 districts, with 44% from Tier 1, 34% from Tier 2, and 22% from Tier 3 & 4 districts.

The survey also found that a similar percentage of respondents believe that municipal authorities are ineffective in inoculation, transferring strays to animal rescue centers, and registering pets. Only 7% of respondents believe municipal authorities effectively manage stray and pet dogs.

According to the State of Pet Homelessness Index data in 2021, India has an estimated 6.2 crore and 91 lakh street dogs and cats, respectively. In the last 6 months, more than 45,000 stray dog bite cases were reported in Delhi. The Centre has also presented data in Parliament, stating that Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, West Bengal, and Gujarat have the highest incidences of stray dog bites, with Uttar Pradesh having the most stray dogs, followed by Odisha, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan.

The LocalCircles survey aimed to identify specific solutions to the stray dog bite problem. Only 10% of respondents believe that their municipal corporation or local body effectively manages stray dogs. This figure remains the same as in the last survey.

As a next step, 71% of people believe that the stray dogs and animals issues get addressed on a mission-by-mission basis. The Swachh Bharat Mission provides resources for this purpose, making stray animal management a criterion in ranking cities and local governments. In addition, the survey suggests that cash should be made available and used to create stray animal facilities in each area and develop stray animal hotlines and pick-up infrastructure.

The collaboration between the Ministry of Animal Husbandry and the Animal Welfare Board of India aims to seek the aid of local self-governments and Resident Welfare Associations in implementing the Animal Birth Control Rules, which were recently notified on March 10, 2023. The new set of rules aims to shift the responsibility of maintaining and controlling the stray dog population onto them.