Stray dogs bite 14 people in Punjab every hour
BATHINDA: Punjab has witnessed 14 dog bite cases on an average each hour in the past seven month, a situation termed serious by the health authorities.
According to the State Rabies Control Programme (SRCP) data, a total of 72,414 dog bite cases were reported from 22 districts of the state till July. The SRCP authorities say as the August data is being complied.
According to the SRCP data, Jalandhar saw 14,390 dog bite cases, or 68 cases per day, the highest in the state, followed by Ludhiana (8,000), Hoshiarpur (5,486), Patiala (5,484) and Sangrur (4,345), from January till July. Veterinarians say stray dogs are the main contributors while in many cases, patients complain of bites by pets.
SRCP programme officer Dr Preeti Thaware said the data suggests that stray dog menace has grown in the past years.
The state reported 1.1 lakh dog bite cases last year as against 1 lakh in 2017. The number was 1.34 lakh in 2019 and 1.14 lakh in 2018. “Owing to Covid-19 outbreak, fewer people were venturing out thus a marginal decrease in dog bite incidents was seen since last year. But the ground reality is the stray dogs are posing a serious threat to the human population,” said Dr Thaware.
There is no official data indicating the fatality caused by dog bites.
“Most of the patients abide by strict schedule of the four-vaccine dose necessary programme that is provided free of cost. If vaccines are not taken on the prescribed dates, a patient will have to repeat the cycle and it may cause unwanted health conditions,” she added.
Animal rights activist from Ludhiana and former member of the Animal Welfare Board of India Dr Sandeep Jain said dogs become aggressive during monsoon, which is the mating season, and attack people due to excess body heat. “But sterilisation can reduce their aggressiveness as it brings down the hormone level. Sterilising bitches also can prevent them from many contracting diseases and increase their life span. The community should be educated about the general behaviour of canines to minimise dog attacks,” he added.
Officials said a state panel regularly monitors and execute an organised anti-rabies programme.
In the latest communication issued on September 1, the director, local bodies, has asked the municipal commissioners and additional deputy commissioners to ensure that organisations engaged in the animal birth control and anti-rabies programmes are in accordance with the norms fixed by the Animal Welfare Board of India.
“District administration and the local bodies conduct dog sterilisation, but Covid-19 outbreak hindered the exercise since last year. Various districts are working to initiate sterilisation programme,” said an official of animal husbandry department.