777 people attacked daily by dogs in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: According to data provided by Odisha government in the Assembly on Wednesday, stray dogs or domesticated ones have targeted on an average 777 individuals daily between January 2023 and October 2024.

In a written reply to a question from Rayagada MLA Kadraka Appala Swamy of the Congress, Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Minister Gokulananda Mallik said a total of 5,20,237 dog bite cases were reported in Odisha during those 22 months. According to the 2019 Livestock Census, Odisha has 17.34 lakh stray dogs.

Following the Animal Birth Control Rule, 2023, municipalities and urban local bodies are implementing the Animal Birth Control programme through organisations, which got project recognition certificates from the Animal Welfare Board of India, the minister said. Mallik informed the Assembly that 4,605 stray dogs were sterilised in eight urban areas of Odisha during the financial year 2022-23.