Bites up, but dog count dips in corpn survey

Time of India

13-05-2025

Madurai: Amid growing complaints of stray dog menace, and dog bite casing hitting a seven-year high in the city, the latest scientific census by Madurai corporation has pegged stray dog population at 38,348, significantly lower than previous estimates.
An RTI reply had in 2021 placed the number at 53,826 in 2020, while a 2012 survey had recorded 47,573 dogs. Dog bite cases within corporation limits reached 14,130 by Nov 2024, the highest since 2018, pointing to the urgent need for effective stray management. Corporation officials, however, insist that the March 2025 enumeration is the most accurate to date, as it was conducted using scientific methods in collaboration with Worldwide Veterinary Service (WVS) and animal welfare NGO Seeshah's Kennel Foundation. The new figure for Madurai is also lower than that of Trichy corporation, which recently published a 2025 survey placing its stray dog population at 43,767. City health officer (CHO) P Indhira told TOI that Madurai's survey was carried out in all 100 wards covering five city zones. The initial groundwork and mapping were done between March 5 and 14, after which 200 student volunteers and corporation staff were trained for field enumeration. From March 17 to 23, around 300 surveys were conducted, with data collected from an average of 31% of roads in each ward. The methodology included sampling, grid mapping, training of enumerators, and multi-stage data collection. "We have done a proper survey and this is the most scientific survey. The dog count may have decreased after Covid pandemic due to decrease in number of feeders," said the CHO.The demographic breakdown revealed that 15% of the dogs were puppies (under three months), and 85% adults. Among the adults, 83% were aged over one year, and 17% were juveniles between 4 and 11 months. Male dogs accounted for 65% of the population and females, 35%, with 36% of the female dogs observed to be lactating. About 83% of the stray dogs were found to be healthy, while the remaining 17% suffered from injuries, skin infections, or other visible ailments.Madurai corporation has now announced plans to intensify sterilization and population control efforts at hotspots. Officials say the data will guide the future rollout of Animal Birth Control (ABC) and Anti-Rabies Vaccination (ARV) programmes across the city.