‘Every year, there are deaths due to rabies’: Dinesh Gundu Rao on SC’s ruling on stray dogs

BENGALURU: After the Supreme Court ordered to send all stray dogs in Delhi-NCR to shelters within eight weeks, Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Wednesday said that rabies from stray and unvaccinated dogs is a serious problem that causes deaths and suffering every year.

Speaking to reporters, Dinesh Gundu Rao said, “Every year, there are deaths due to rabies and many people suffer because of that. Dog bites and snake bites are a genuine issue. Rabies is due to stray and unvaccinated dogs. Hopefully, some decisions will be made using the Supreme Court order”.

#WATCH | Over SC order on stray dogs in Delhi-NCR, Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao says, “… Every year, there are deaths due to rabies and many people suffer because of that. Dog bites and snake bites are a genuine issue. Rabies is due to stray and unvaccinated dogs.… pic.twitter.com/uK4PhLc6ln

— ANI (@ANI) August 13, 2025

On Monday, the Supreme Court directed the authorities in the National Capital Territory of Delhi to immediately start picking up stray dogs from all localities and shift them to dog shelters. The directions also extend to Noida, Gurugram and Ghaziabad. The ruling drew criticism from animal rights organisations.

Following KN Rajanna’s resignation from his cabinet post, Dinesh Gundu Rao said that it was a party decision that must be respected. He added that Rajanna had agreed to abide by it and would meet the party high command.

#WATCH | Bengaluru: On resignation of KN Rajanna from cabinet post, Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao says, “It is a party decision and it is something that we all have to respect. Even Rajanna has said that he will abide by the party decision, and he has also said Rahul… pic.twitter.com/La46mhj68n

— ANI (@ANI) August 13, 2025

“It is a party decision, and it is something that we all have to respect. Even Rajanna has said that he will abide by the party decision, and he has also said Rahul Gandhi is his leader, and he said he will go and explain to the high command. In public life, sometimes when we see TV cameras and mics, we say things that we should not be saying, and we should all be careful of what we say,” Rao said. (ANI)