Bhopal News: Stray Dog Attacks Surge; 150 Rabies Shots Given In A Week

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The growing menace of stray dogs has sparked fear across Bhopal ahead of Holi celebrations, with a sharp rise in dog bite cases reported over the past week.

Long queues outside vaccination wards at several hospitals in the state capital paint a grim picture. Hospital staff report that nearly 150 to 160 people have received anti-rabies injections in the last week.

From early morning, injured residents line up outside Room No. 24, the designated rabies injection room at JP Hospital. The rush continues until afternoon and resumes again in the evening. Doctors said some attacks are so severe that victims suffer deep wounds, with flesh torn off in certain cases.

When contacted, additional municipal commissioner Harshit Tiwari said sterilisation and vaccination drives were being intensified. He said that efforts were underway to capture and isolate aggressive dogs.

Recent incidents

Baghmugaliya: Jogendra Singh (32) was reading a newspaper outside his home when a stray dog attacked him from behind, biting his leg. He alleges that repeated complaints have yielded no concrete action.

MLA rest house area: In what is considered a secure zone, a single aggressive dog reportedly attacked 23 people, including Santosh Pandey (40). Residents claim dogs are now entering premises, creating panic even in VIP areas.

Ayodhya Bypass: Sudhir Paswan (21) said open garbage dumps have worsened the problem. Dogs have marked territories every few hundred meters. Even walking on familiar roads has become risky, he said, noting that children are now scared to step outside their homes.

What s behind rising aggression?

Dr Deepesh Gautam, veterinary surgeon, offers several factors:

Open garbage dumps attracting dogs and triggering aggressive behaviour.

Ineffective sterilisation drives under Animal Birth Control (ABC) program.

Territorial pack behaviour in densely populated areas.

Lack of monitoring and isolation of violent animals.