17,258 cases of dog bites recorded in Hassan district between January and July

HASSAN: The menace of stray dogs in Hassan district has exceeded limits. Every day, at one place or another, stray dogs are attacking people, leaving them injured, and locals are terrified by the stray dog menace. Between January and the end of July, 17,258 people have been bitten by dogs while two have died during the same period.

There is intense anger expressed against officials who have not checked the nuisance of stray dogs, and people have lashed out saying that members of animal welfare associations should catch the dogs and take them and rear them.

While the population of stray dogs is increasing significantly year by year, the number of people being bitten by dogs is also increasing. Especially stray dogs are pouncing on children playing in front of houses, students walking on the road and biting them everywhere and injuring them seriously.

Last year i.e. in 2025, dogs bit 28,678 people, and two lost their lives. This year, in just six months, 17,258 people have been bitten by dogs, among them children have been seriously injured. All of them have taken treatment in primary hospital, community hospital, public and district hospital and medicine stock has been kept in all hospitals.

In the last six months, 1,744 people have been bitten by dogs within Hassan City Corporation limits alone. Dogs live in large numbers on roads, stadiums, food courts, streets and it is difficult to walk alone. At night, they even chase vehicles and many have fallen from bikes out of panic and got injured.

Even though dog bite cases are increasing day by day, City Corporation, Municipality, Town Municipality, Town Panchayat, Gram Panchayat officials have completely failed to check it and only a handful of stray dogs are caught, sterilized and released again in the same place.

Locals allege that lakhs of rupees are being wasted in the name of sterilization treatment. Members of Animal Welfare Association are obstructing catching and relocating dogs and public has expressed anger against them saying if they have so much love, they should catch all dogs and take them and rear them.

The stray dog problem in Hassan district has really taken a serious form and has created fear among people. People have unanimously demanded that at least now the concerned officials should check the menace of stray dogs and prevent attacks on public and children.