From streets to shelters: SC acts on Delhi-NCR stray dogs, stats explain why

India continues to report thousands of dog bite instances annually, albeit the figures fluctuate alarmingly. The number of cases decreased from 75.7 lakh in 2018 to 21.9 lakh in 2022, during the pandemic.

Citing mounting public safety concerns, the Indian Supreme Court ruled Monday that all stray canines in the national capital area must be taken off the streets and sent permanently to shelters within six to eight weeks. The Supreme Court stated that the growing number of dog bite cases and their effects on public health could not be disregarded.

Every year, thousands of dog bite instances are reported in India, although the figures fluctuate alarmingly. During the pandemic in 2022, the number of cases fell from 75.7 lakh in 2018 to 21.9 lakh. In 2024, it increased once again to almost 37 lakh. Over 4.29 lakh instances were reported nationwide in January alone this year.

Data shows that in the first month of 2025 alone, Maharashtra recorded the most dog bites, with 56,538 occurrences. Gujarat has 53,942 instances, ranking second. Karnataka reported about 39,500 instances, Bihar reported over 34,000, while Tamil Nadu reported 48,931 cases. In January, there were 3,196 instances in the nation’s capital.

Dog bite deaths from rabies are also increasing. There were 21 fatalities in 2022. The number of deaths rose to 50 in 2023 and to 54 in 2024. One death was reported in January of this year. In July, a state-level Kabaddi player, Brijesh Solanki, from Uttar Pradesh, reportedly died of rabies, weeks after he was bitten by a stray pup he rescued from a drain.

The government’s investment in prevention

Under the National Health Mission’s Free Drug Initiative, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has been providing financial assistance to states and Union Territories since 2020–21 so they can purchase Rabies Immunoglobulin (RIG) and Anti-Rabies Vaccine (ARV) in order to prevent rabies.

Government hospitals, medical schools, and anti-rabies clinics provide these medications at no cost. ARV costs roughly Rs 250 each vial, while RIG costs about Rs 350 per kind. Government support has been significant: Rs 68.86 crore in FY21, Rs 62.33 crore in FY22, Rs 98.75 crore in FY23, and Rs 99.77 crore in FY24.

Over the last five years, the number of anti-rabies vaccine doses approved under the Assistance to States for Control of Animal Diseases programme has also increased. In 2020–21, 25.56 lakh doses were approved. This increased to 41.76 lakh doses in 2021–22. In 2022–23, the number dropped to 18.44 lakh doses, the lowest in the five years. But it rose again in 2023–24, when 64.55 lakh doses were sanctioned. And 2024–25 recorded the highest approval so far, at 80.19 lakh doses allocated. In total, 230.5 lakh doses have been approved in the past five years.