37,17,336 Total Dog Bite Cases In India In 2024
New Delhi, July 22, 2025: India recorded a staggering 37,17,336 cases of dog bites in 2024, as per official data presented by the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. The alarming figures come amid increasing public concern over stray dog attacks in urban and rural areas across the country.
The data, compiled by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) under the National Rabies Control Programme (NRCP), also reported 54 suspected human deaths from rabies during the same period.
Responding to an unstarred question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State S P Singh Baghel outlined a multi-pronged strategy adopted by the government to address the issue. The primary responsibility of stray dog control lies with local municipalities under Article 243(W) of the Constitution. To facilitate this, the government has introduced the updated Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023. These rules replace the earlier 2001 guidelines and prioritise the neutering and anti-rabies vaccination of stray dogs.
The new regulations, implemented under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, also incorporate directions from the Supreme Court and the Delhi High Court. Among them is a provision mandating the formation of Animal Welfare Committees by Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs), Apartment Owners’ Associations (AOAs), and Local Bodies to oversee feeding and care of community dogs. However, the government confirmed that there is currently no provision to penalise RWAs for failing to comply with these directives.
To support effective implementation, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) has issued several advisories and guidelines, urging States and Union Territories to enforce the ABC Programme. A key focus remains the protection of children, particularly toddlers, from potential attacks.
Municipalities have also been encouraged to conduct localised censuses of stray dogs to aid in planning and implementation. The DAHD’s national livestock census, which includes data on stray dogs, is conducted every five years. However, local bodies are free to carry out annual surveys as needed.
On the health front, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has intensified efforts to tackle the rabies threat under the National Rabies Control Programme. Measures include the launch of the National Action Plan for Dog-Mediated Rabies Elimination, setting up of Model Anti-Rabies Clinics, workshops for state-level action plans, strengthening of diagnostic laboratories, and robust surveillance mechanisms. Public awareness drives, training initiatives, and community engagement campaigns have also been rolled out, including the observance of World Rabies Day and the creation of a dedicated rabies helpline.
The government has backed these efforts with significant financial allocations. Under the Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme, funds have been sanctioned through the Assistance to States for Control of Animal Diseases (ASCAD) for the purchase of anti-rabies vaccines for animals. In the past five years, over Rs 35 crore has been approved, with 80.19 lakh doses sanctioned for 2024-25 alone.
