1.5L dog bites in Punjab this year alone
Dog bite cases are rising fast in Punjab—over 1.5 lakh just in the first half of 2025, compared to 2.13 lakh all last year.
This uptick is worrying because rabies, which is always fatal if untreated, has already claimed three lives this year.
70% bites from stray dogs
Nearly 36% of bites come from Amritsar, Ludhiana, and Patiala, with health officials noting that about 70% of cases involve stray dogs.
Most severe bites (grade-3) need anti-rabies serum right away—free treatment is now available at Aam Aadmi Clinics across the state.
Animal birth control program hasn't worked well
Punjab's Animal Birth Control program hasn't managed to reduce the stray dog population much; outsourcing sterilization hasn't worked well either.
In Patiala, they've switched to handling it themselves and now sterilize about 50 dogs daily.
No rules for compensating victims yet
Even after a High Court order last year, Punjab's health department still hasn't set up rules for compensating dog bite victims, as cases keep climbing.