90,757 stray dogs in Mumbai, birth control measures to be expedited: Maha

The government informed the legislative assembly that there are 1,188,281 stray dogs across the 29 municipal corporations, but only 105 animal birth control centres

Nagpur: The Maharashtra government on Tuesday announced it will expedite the sterilisation of stray dogs by increasing the number of animal birth control (ABC) centres across cities. The government informed the legislative assembly that there are 1,188,281 stray dogs across the 29 municipal corporations, but only 105 ABC centres. Mumbai alone has 90,757 stray dogs, but just eight ABC centres or shelters.

New Delhi, India – August 11, 2025: Stray dogs roam around Pandav Nagar in East Delhi on Monday. The Supreme Court has directed that all stray dogs in Delhi and NCR be rounded up within eight weeks and housed in shelters set up by civic authorities, ensuring none are released back onto the streets. (Photo by Raj K Raj/Hindustan Times) (RAJ K RAJ /HT PHOTO)

The government shared the data in response to a Calling Attention Motion moved by MLAs Atul Bhatkhalkar, Chetan Tupe, Mahesh Landge and others in the legislative assembly on Tuesday regarding the rising incidents of stray dog bites and rabies-related deaths.

Speaking in the assembly, Bhatkhalkar asked what steps were being taken to increase the number of ABC centres and suggested that the government should establish them on a “war footing” by acquiring the required land. He also asked whether vacant government plots could be used for creating additional facilities.

Meanwhile, Landge, in a dig at animal rights activists, said stray dogs should be sent to the homes of those opposed to government measures. Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Sunil Prabhu said that even legislators are not safe from stray dogs while visiting their constituencies.

The state government informed the lower house that 182,000 stray dogs in 29 municipal corporations and 50,844 across 395 municipal councils and nagar panchayats have been sterilised in 2024-25. Meanwhile, the urban development department has begun implementing the central government’s Animal Birth Control Rules and has asked all urban local bodies to establish ABC monitoring committees. The Animal Welfare Board of India also issued a standard operating procedure last month and asked local bodies to set up shelter homes for dogs, the house was informed.

Replying to the debate, minister of state for urban development Madhuri Misal said the government was complying with the Supreme Court’s guidelines. She said work on sterilisation, shelters and a helpline had begun on a war footing, and that urban bodies had appointed IAS officers as nodal officers to implement the court’s directives.

The BJP’s Bhosari MLA, Vilas Landge, said animal lovers were obstructing the government’s efforts. “This has resulted in over 1 lakh (100,000) people being bitten by dogs in the last three years in Pune. The dog lovers oppose steps such as sterilisation and public feeding, but they themselves do not keep the dogs at their homes. All the stray dogs should be dispatched to their homes,” he said.

Misal did not respond to the suggestion but said, “We have issued directives for the implementation of orders by the court, and we are meticulously monitoring it.”

Even after the stormy debate, the legislators were not satisfied, leading to an intervention by revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, who announced that a meeting would be held involving MLAs and officials from the departments concerned.