PMC Plans Three Dog Shelters Worth Rs 25 Crore Amid Stray Dog Concerns in Pune
Pune, 19th March 2026: Concerns over the growing menace of stray and abandoned dogs were raised by corporators during the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) general body meeting on Wednesday, with members demanding urgent action from the civic administration.
Several corporators, including Aishwarya Pathare, Kunal Tilak, Dheeraj Ghate, Priya Gadade, Archana Patil and Leader of the House Ganesh Bidkar, highlighted the seriousness of the issue and urged officials to take concrete steps to address it.
Responding to the concerns, Additional Municipal Commissioner Pavneet Kaur informed the house about the ongoing measures being taken by the administration and assured corporators that stricter action would follow. Deputy Mayor Parshuram Wadekar also directed civic officials to treat the issue as a priority.
During the discussion, corporators referred to recent dog attack incidents, including a fatal attack on a woman in Chakan, and questioned the pace of vaccination and sterilisation drives despite the availability of infrastructure and capacity.
Ghate pointed to the increasing presence of stray dogs in areas such as Sarasbaug and stressed the need to regulate the feeding of stray dogs by designating specific feeding points.
Some corporators also raised concerns that residents who file complaints about stray dogs sometimes face counter-complaints from animal welfare activists at central authorities, which they said discourages people from reporting incidents.
Highlighting the situation in newly merged villages within city limits, Bidkar said hybrid stray dogs were becoming increasingly aggressive and may attack humans while searching for food.
Kaur informed the house that the civic body plans to establish three dog shelters across the city with a budget provision of Rs 25 crore. Each shelter will have the capacity to accommodate around 1,000 dogs, and the initiative will be implemented in accordance with guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court of India.
