Mohali has seen an alarming rise in dog bites with an average of 81 cases being reported daily, official data shows. Morning walkers, cyclists, delivery personnel and two-wheeler riders – no one seems to be safe.

Data shared by the Phase-6 civil hospital, which is the designated authority for keeping a count of dog-bite cases in the district, reveals that in just four months (January to April 2026), Mohali logged 9,710 dog bite cases.

Last year, the annual count stood at 20,562, averaging at 56 cases daily, while in 2024, 19,252 cases (52 cases a day) were reported.

‘Scared of stepping out of homes’

Residents say the problem has become so grave that they now fear venturing out of their homes.

Fazal Masih, 85, a resident of Manohar Singh Palm Residency in New Chandigarh, who was attacked by a stray dog on Thursday while walking to a nearby shop to buy milk, says that the same dog had bitten several others in the locality but no action was taken. “People in the area, especially senior citizens, are scared to step out even for errands,” he added.

Bhavdeep Singh, a 48-year-old businessman from Phase 7, whose 17-year-old son was bitten by a stray dog last week, says, “This has become an everyday menace. In our area alone, nearly 60 dog bite cases have been reported in recent months. Since it is an open locality and not a gated one, stray dogs move around freely. We have raised the issue with the municipal corporation multiple times, but no action has followed,” he said. Singh added that his younger son was also attacked by strays two years ago.

A commuter from Zirakpur said the fear of stray dog attacks had become routine. “Morning walkers and two-wheeler riders are frequently chased. The numbers clearly show the problem is getting worse,” he said.

Residents say that delivery drivers are among the worst affected, especially during night hours, as stray dogs often attack unfamiliar riders entering residential areas.

Sustained rise this year, shows data

While 2025 had shown fluctuations across months, with peaks in July (2,036) and December (2,090), the current year’s numbers show a sustained and steeper rise rather than isolated spikes (see box).

Officials of the Confederation of Greater Mohali Residents Welfare Associations (CGMRW), the apex body of 65 RWAs in the district, say they have submitted four representations in the past nine months. In its latest letter to the deputy commissioner, the body said that despite GMADA earmarking an acre in Sector 57 for a dedicated stray dog shelter in 2019, the facility remains unbuilt.

CGMRWA president KK Saini said, “We have repeatedly flagged this issue through four representations in the past nine months, seeking sterilisation, vaccination, shelters and a response mechanism, but the ground situation remains unchanged, putting public safety, especially children and senior citizens, at risk.”

Sterilisation efforts on: MC

Municipal corporation officials say sterilisation efforts are underway, though residents argue they have failed to keep pace with the growing stray dog population.

Dr Sanjeev Kamboj, medical officer of health (MOH), Mohali MC, said that on an average, 250 dogs are sterilised every month at the Animal Birth Control Centre in Phase 1 Industrial Area. “The facility covers stray dogs within MC limits,” he said.

MC sanitary inspector Ranjit Singh said the current contractor’s tender for sterilisation work has been extended by nine months. “Annual tender renewals often disrupt work and compromise continuity. Since the municipal area expanded after delimitation for MC elections, a fresh tender will be floated soon,” he said.

MC commissioner Sundeep Singh Garha remained unavailable for comments despite multiple attempts to reach him.

Need dedicated rabies task force

Yogita Kumari, director of Tabassum, A Home of Hope Foundation, village Maujpur, Landran, said sterilisation efforts within the Mohali MC limits have had a positive impact. Along with anti-rabies vaccination, these efforts are expected to benefit the public by reducing the stray dog population and dog bite incidents. She stressed the need for a dedicated rabies task force and a helpline number for the entire district to assist residents in emergencies involving suspected rabid dogs. Citing a case in Sector 109, she said a feeder identified a suspected rabid dog before it could bite dogs or humans, but no government official provided immediate assistance to tackle the situation.

The normal response is that the area falls outside the MC limits, she said. “Eventually, help was sought from an animal welfare activist to capture and isolate the dog,” she said.

Kumari also pointed out discrepancies in dog bite data, saying official figures often do not distinguish between bites by pets and stray dogs, and at times may even include bites by other animals such as cats or monkeys under the same category.