Mumbai: Following the Supreme Court's directive instructing the government and civic authorities to remove all stray dogs from the streets of Delhi and relocate them to dog shelters, similar demands have now emerged in Mumbai.
MLA Seeks Urgent Action on Stray Dogs
BJP MLA Amit Satam has written to Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani, urging him to expedite the sterilisation program and establish dedicated dog shelters. He has requested that all stray dogs be moved to these shelters, where they can be properly cared for.
Mumbai Records 70,000 Dog Bite Cases Annually
Satam highlighted a growing public safety concern, revealing that Mumbai records an average of 70,000 dog bite cases annually — accounting for 26% of all such incidents across Maharashtra. He also flagged a shortage of anti-rabies vaccines in the city, further compounding the crisis.
"Disturbing reports have surfaced of stray dog attacks on children and senior citizens, along with road accidents caused by strays chasing two-wheeler riders. There is a dire need for urgent, coordinated action to address this escalating issue in Mumbai,” Satam said.
Calls for Humane Management of Strays
He urged administration to fast-track the BMC’s sterilization programme and immediately establish dog shelters where strays can be safely housed, fed, treated, and cared for.
“This will not only protect public health and safety but also ensure humane treatment of the animals,” he added. Satam further emphasised that many NGOs are willing to manage such shelters, if space is allocated by the BMC or the state government.
Criticism of BMC’s Inaction Over Decades
Ravi Raja, former Opposition Leader of the BMC and now a BJP leader, criticized the civic body’s inaction over the years. “The BMC should have accelerated the sterilization of stray dogs over the past two decades,” he said. “Its high time the civic administration finds a more effective and sustainable solution before the situation spirals out of control,” he warned.
Animal Rights Advocates Defend Strays
Meanwhile, Roshan Pathak, animal rights advisor for the PAL Foundation, defended the strays and directed criticism toward the civic body. “It’s not the animals, but the municipal authorities who should be held accountable,” Pathak said.
He added that the NGO has organised a candlelight march on August 17 at 7 PM in Andheri West to raise awareness and advocate for the protection of stray dogs. As per civic sources until the end of 2024, the BMC received around 150 dog bite complaints per week. From January to August 2025 alone, over 10,000 complaints have already been registered.
BMC Sterilisation Efforts Over 29 Years
A survey conducted in 2024, by the BMC in collaboration with Humane Society International/India (HSI) revealed that over the past 29 years, 4.3 lakh stray dogs have been sterilised in Mumbai, reducing the population from 95,172 to 90,757 in the last decade.
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Between 1994 and December 2023, the BMC sterilised 4,03,374 dogs—1,48,084 of them between 2014 and 2023, with the highest annual count in 2017 (24,290) and the lowest in 2015 (6,414). The average annual sterilisation rate stands at 14,808. The report also noted that 76% of sterilised dogs survived, while 24% died over the 29-year period.
