In wake of growing dog menace across the city, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has decided to raise awareness and offer financial and medical support to victims of dog attacks. Between January and November this year, 23,374 citizens in the city were attacked by dogs. Despite this, the administration has not taken strong action, leading to growing frustration.  

In recent days, stray dogs in Pune have become a growing concern, with strays attacking citizens in broad daylight. On Friday, a five-year-old boy, Samarth Suryavanshi, was seriously injured while playing in the parking lot of Chandrangan Society in Ambegaon. This has once again highlighted the issue in the city. 

In response to the attacks, a private organisation working with the PMC captured four stray dogs from Chandrangan Society. In the last 20 days, 218 dogs in areas like Ambegaon Plateau, Bharati Vidyapeeth, and Katraj have been neutered and vaccinated. However, with the increasing number of stray dogs, it’s clear that these measures are not sufficient. 

Dr Sarika Funde, chief veterinary officer of PMC, provided an update on the recent stray dog attack, she said, “The boy is now out of danger. We visited the spot, caught the stray dogs involved, and sent them for vaccination and sterilisation. Additionally, we collected samples from the four stray dogs that bit the boy and sent them to the lab for rabies testing.” 

Dr Funde also mentioned that PMC commissioner Rajendra Bhosale has decided to allocate funds in the upcoming financial year to provide medical facilities for victims of dog bites. 

Despite frequent attacks by stray dogs, the administration has yet to take concrete action, leading to widespread frustration. Stray dogs are commonly seen in public spaces like hotels, food courts, and market areas. They often roam in groups at night, attacking pedestrians, especially children and the elderly. The issue has prompted strong demands for immediate action from the PMC. 

 Shortage of rabies vaccines 

Controlling stray dogs and treating injured citizens are the responsibilities of the Municipal Corporation. However, neither of these duties seems to be effectively carried out. 

Last week, Kaluram Jagtap, a retired teacher from Sade Satra Nali, was attacked by strays during his regular morning walk. Along with him, two other citizens were also injured. Jagtap sustained bites on his leg and arm. Recounting his ordeal, Jagtap said, “I went to Annasaheb Magar Hospital in Hadapsar for a rabies vaccine, but it wasn’t available there. I was then directed to Sassoon Hospital, where the doctors referred me to Rajiv Gandhi Hospital in Yerawada. Since it was a half-day on Saturday, the doctors were hesitant to administer the vaccine because they would need to monitor the patient for half an hour afterwards. They finally gave me the vaccine only after I pleaded with them.” 

This incident highlights not only the increasing threat posed by stray dogs but also the inefficiency in providing timely medical treatment to victims. 

Dr Funde said, “There was a rabies vaccine shortage a few days ago. Now; we have enough vaccines in all PMC hospitals. We have also decided to speed up sterilisation of stray dogs.”