Panchkula, Oct 3— In response to a steep rise in dog bite incidents, the Panchkula Municipal Corporation (MC) is rolling out an unprecedented programme to rehabilitate aggressive stray dogs through medical care, behavioural training, and socialisation before releasing them back to their original locations.
The initiative, a first for the city, comes after Panchkula recorded 8,925 dog bite cases between January and October 2024, compared with 7,556 in 2023. On average, 10 to 20 cases are reported daily at Panchkula civil hospital, with 712 cases logged in July alone. Officials say most of these incidents involve aggressive strays.
MC commissioner R.K. Singh said the programme will operate strictly under Supreme Court guidelines and the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules. “Aggressive dogs will be kept in a kennel at village Sukhdarshanpur for treatment and training, and the entire process will be carried out as per law,” Singh noted.
According to the plan, dogs identified as aggressive will be isolated in shelters, provided with food, medicines, and veterinary treatment, and put through a structured training process aimed at reducing their aggression to “zero level.” After clearance from a veterinary officer, the animals will be tagged and re-released at the same spot from where they were captured, in compliance with ABC Rules.
To carry out the work, the MC has floated a tender covering identification, catching, transportation, and rehabilitation of aggressive strays. The tender will be opened on October 13, with the contract valid for either 12 months or up to 2,400 dogs, whichever comes first.
Officials said the selected agency must be either an Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI)-recognized organisation or a registered veterinary practitioner certified by the State Veterinary Council. The agency will also be required to submit a detailed action plan for identifying aggressive dogs, maintain GPS-based tagging of every captured animal, and deploy two dedicated vehicles equipped with cages and safety gear for transportation.
At the Sukhdarshanpur kennel, strays will receive anti-rabies vaccination, medical treatment, and behavioural therapy. Only after being certified by veterinarians will they be released back at their original locations.
Animal welfare experts say the move aligns with court directions on humane management of strays. While Chandigarh MC has already set up designated feeding zones for dogs, Panchkula MC is still finalising such areas.
Authorities believe the initiative will help curb the surge in bite cases while balancing public safety and animal rights.
