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53 dog bites every day, yet Mohali has no stray shelter
In August this year, the Supreme Court had directed all states and Union Territories to ensure that stray dogs are removed from sensitive public spaces
Mohali continues to reel under an alarming rate of dog-bite incidents, with official data showing an average of 53 cases being reported every day in 2025 — a figure that mirrors last year’s tally in 2024.
The numbers underline a stubborn pattern. In 2024, Mohali’s urban and rural areas reported 17,682 dog-bite cases, an average of 53 per day. The trend has persisted this year, with 11,234 cases registered between January and July this year, translating to the same daily average.
Despite the severity of the situation and repeated judicial directives, the district still does not have a single dog shelter to house stray animals.
In August this year, the Supreme Court had directed all states and Union Territories to ensure that stray dogs are removed from sensitive public spaces such as hospitals, educational institutions, sports complexes, bus terminals and railway stations. However, three months after the order, the Mohali municipal corporation (MC) has not initiated any proposal for the construction of a dog shelter or dog pound, despite the increasing menace.
A senior MC official said, “Although the dog sterilisation drive is ongoing, the impact on the ground remains limited. MC is actively doing dog sterilisation, but dog-bite cases are increasing every day. MC does have an animal birth control (ABC) centre, but no dog shelter where dogs can be kept and provided facilities. Also, MC is short of vacant land in its limits, and so far, no proposal is underway to even build a dog shelter.”
Municipal corporation records show that 1,276 stray dogs were sterilised till August this year — a number far too low compared to the rapidly multiplying dog population. As per officials, the stray dog population in Mohali has doubled in the last three years, increasing from 9,000–10,000 in 2023 to nearly 20,000 at present.
MC commissioner Parminder Singh said the civic body is now planning corrective steps. “We are planning to draft an official agenda to build a dog shelter in Mohali. We are working on it,” he said.
Besides, on November 13, 2023, the Punjab and Haryana high court had ruled that the state government must compensate dog-bite victims, fixing a minimum of ₹10,000 per tooth mark, and directed deputy commissioners to head district compensation committees. But in Mohali, the mechanism remains largely ineffective. Only two victims have received compensation so far — one was paid ₹20,000 and the other ₹10,000. In total, the district committee has received 23 applications, with six cases still under consideration.
