Mumbai: With the Supreme Court directing authorities to keep stray dogs away from schools, colleges, hospitals, bus depots and railway stations, the BMC is drawing up an action plan to tackle the issue and is scouting for land outside Mumbai to set up shelters.The civic administration is also considering engaging agencies to house and care for the dogs. According to BMC officials, agencies that undertake the responsibility will be paid as per civic norms for the lifetime of each dog, provided the animal remains under their care.On Tuesday additional municipal commissioner Avinash Dhakne, told the civic House that Mumbai recorded 1,54,017 dog-bite cases in the year 2025.The issue was raised during the civic House proceedings by Shiv Sena (UBT) corporator Kailasnath Pathak, who said the increasing number of stray and abandoned dogs had become a serious public safety concern. He pointed out that the BMC has set a target of making Mumbai rabies-free by 2030, and called for a dedicated action plan.Pathak said stray dogs were freely roaming on roads, footpaths and in gardens, as well as around schools, hospitals and residential areas, resulting in increasing attacks on citizens. Several corporators, including Leader of Opposition Kishori Pednekar, Shraddha Jadhav, Sachin Padwal, Shivani Parab, House Leader Ganesh Khankar also raised concerns over the stray dog menace.According to the BMC, a survey carried out in 2024, following the methodology prescribed by the Animal Welfare Board of India and undertaken by Humane Society International, estimated Mumbai’s stray dog population at 90,757.The BMC sterilised 25,211 dogs between April 2024 and April 2025, while another 12,000 were sterilised over the subsequent eight months, taking the total to about 37,000 dogs in around 18 months.The civic administration has spent approximately Rs 6.5 crore on sterilisation and anti-rabies vaccination. It has 160 vaccination centres and said 1,00,235 stray dogs had been administered anti-rabies vaccines as of 2026.Around 17,000 anti-rabies vaccine doses are currently available at civic hospitals.BMC had identified six locations for setting up new stray-dog shelters, including Malvani, Mulund, Anik, Airoli and land belonging to the Mumbai Port Trust.However, opposition from local residents has made it difficult for the civic body to establish shelters at these sites said officials. Dr Kaleempasha Pathan, general manager of the BMC’s animal slaughterhouse department, said the civic administration was now exploring land outside Mumbai for setting up shelters.
