1 in 6 Indians say attack by stray or pet dog common; majority blame local bodies: Survey

NEW DELHI: The recent death of a seven-month-old child after he was mauled by a pack of stray dogs inside a posh housing complex in Noida, has once again put the spotlight on the issue of management of stray canine population.
As per the Centre's livestock census, the stray dog population in India has dipped from 1.7 crore in 2012 to about 1.6 crore in 2021, when around 17.01 lakh dog bites cases were reported.

The four states with the highest incidents of stray dog bites are Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Gujarat, according to data tabled by the Centre in Parliament during the monsoon session this year.
The highest number of stray dogs, on the other hand, are in Uttar Pradesh, followed by Odisha, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.
Over 60% say attack by stray dogs common in their area
According to a pan-India survey by LocalCircles, over 60% of citizens said that attacks by stray and/or pet dogs is an issue in their area.

Out of 10,442 respondents, 30% stated that attack by stray dogs was common while 5% indicated that attack by pet dogs was common. Another 26% said “attacks by both stray dogs and pet dogs is common”.
In contrast, 28% respondents to the survey stated that “such attacks by both stray and pet dogs are nonexistent or rare”.
Most believe pet dogs not properly trained
One of the possible reasons for attacks by pet dogs is poor or lack of training by owners.
Only 32% of respondents said that owners of pet dogs in their area effectively restrained and trained them so that they don’t cause harm to others.

Of the 10,610 respondents, only 11% stated that “almost all owners" trained their dogs, while 21% stated that “most do so”; and 28% indicated “some do so”. The survey revealed that 19% are unhappy that “most (pet owners) don’t do so” and 16% felt the pet owners don’t take the trouble of training their pets.
Lack of discipline among pet dogs and their owners leads to risk for others in public spaces.
Majority say local bodies ineffective in managing stray dog population
To find out whether the local bodies were doing what needs to be done to safeguard the citizens from attacks by stray dogs and ensuring that pet dogs are registered, the survey asked people whether the municipal authority in their area effectively managed stray dogs (inoculation, transfer to a stray animal facility) and ensured registration of pet dogs.

In response, 65% respondents said the local bodies were "completely ineffective in managing both stray dogs and registration of pet dogs”.
Out of 10,561 respondents, only 5% felt the civic bodies “do that effectively for both stray dogs and pet dogs”; while another 5% felt “they do that effectively for stray dogs but there is no mandatory registration for pet dogs"; and another 10% indicated that while mandatory registration for pet dogs is there “stray dog management is ineffective”.
'Expand parameters of Swachh Bharat Mission'
LocalCircles founder Sachin Taparia said, "The government’s Swachh Bharat Mission which also rates cities each year for cleanliness should make stray animal management a key parameter when rating cities for cleanliness. This will drive focus on stray animal and stray dog management as well as drive funding allocation towards this cause. A city can be rated most clean but if the senior citizens need to go for their morning walk with a stick to handle stray dogs and children are scared to step out, it is best to classify as dangerous and our tax paying citizens do deserve better."