Residents of Mohali, Kharar, Zirakpur and other urban areas of the district are grappling with the stray dog menace on a daily basis. Children, women and elderly in particular have been at the receiving end due to a rise in dog bite incidents. Daily occurrence A dog bite case is reported almost every day in Baltana area, but MC is unmoved. In other market areas of Zirakpur, too, packs of dogs can easily be seen. — Navtej Saini, a Harmilap Nagar resident The district had witnessed 11,077 dog bite cases last year, pointing to the alarming level the menace has acquired. Packs of stray dogs can be seen in residential areas and crowded markets, often leading to incidents of dog bites. On an average, 30 cases of dog bites are being reported in the district on a daily basis. The threat is more apparent in the urban areas where garbage dumps, leftovers from eateries provide them survival grounds. The Municipal Corporation and municipal councils in the district have been mute spectators to the menace with no provision to contain the population of dogs. No sterilisation drive has taken place since 2021, while the district awaits a dog census for an assessment of their population. Apart from stray dogs, terror of unleashed pet dogs is also on the rise. “Ferocious breeds of pet dogs are often let loose in parks. There have been incidents where children have been attacked and bitten by dogs. The MC should initiate action against the erring owners,” says Manmohan Singh Virk, a Sector 70 resident. With no checks in place, the population of stray animals, including dogs, in the district has increased, leading to accidents and unhygienic conditions. “Not a single day passes by when a dog bite case is not reported in the Baltana area, but the MC remains unmoved,” says Navtej Saini of Harmilap Nagar.
