2 weeks ago
Panvel Stray Dog Crisis: 5,662 Bitten, 19,000+ Dogs on Streets
In a place called Panvel, many dogs live on the streets without homes.
Some of these dogs have bitten people.
Between January and August, more than five thousand people were bitten, which is a lot.
The city wants to keep people safe.
They give dogs medicine to stop them from getting a dangerous sickness called rabies.
They also do operations so there won't be too many new puppies.
But animal experts say the city needs to do these things much faster.
The city is also making sure hospitals have medicine ready for people who get bitten.
Everyone wants both people and dogs to be safe and healthy.
5,662 people were bitten by stray dogs in Panvel Municipal Corporation limits between January and August 2026.
Around 19,317 stray dogs and an estimated 5,000 stray cats are present in the PMC's jurisdiction.
The civic body sterilised 1,337 stray dogs and 338 cats between April 2025 and March 2026, and vaccinated 16,859 dogs against rabies in 2026.
Animal welfare experts say sterilisation numbers are extremely low compared with the stray dog population and have called for expanding the Animal Birth Control programme.
A stray dog bit five people in Kamothe last month, and multiple people were reportedly bitten in a single day in Kalyan-Dombivli.
- Who
- Residents of Panvel Municipal Corporation limits, the civic administration, and animal welfare experts.
- What
- A stray dog crisis marked by 5,662 dog bite cases, an estimated 19,317 stray dogs, and ongoing sterilisation and anti-rabies vaccination drives.
- Where
- Panvel Municipal Corporation limits in Navi Mumbai, including Kamothe, Kharghar, Taloja, New Panvel and Khanda Colony.
- When
- Dog bites were recorded between January and August 2026; sterilisation data covers April 2025 to March 2026.
- Why
- The growing stray dog population has led to rising bite incidents, prompting efforts to control the population and prevent the spread of rabies.
Civic Administration
Animal Welfare Experts
Sterilisation Pace
Civic Administration
The civic body says it is conducting sterilisation and anti-rabies vaccination drives and is working to strengthen its sterilisation centre following the Supreme Court's directions.
Animal Welfare Experts
Experts say the number of sterilisation procedures remains extremely low compared with the estimated stray dog population and have called for an expansion of facilities and a significant increase in the pace of the Animal Birth Control programme.
Key facts
- Dog bite victims (Jan-Aug 2026)
- 5,662
- Estimated stray dog population
- 19,317
- Estimated stray cat population
- 5,000
- Dogs sterilised (Apr 2025-Mar 2026)
- 1,337
- Cats sterilised (Apr 2025-Mar 2026)
- 338
- Dogs vaccinated against rabies (2026)
- 16,859
- Anti-rabies vaccine doses available (June 2026)
- Around 1,200
- Affected areas
- Kamothe, Kharghar, Taloja, New Panvel, Khanda Colony
Sources
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