Pune: PCMC Plans Five Shelters For Stray Dogs, Each With 1,000-Dog Capacity

Pimpri Chinchwad, 28th September 2026: The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has begun preparations to establish five dog shelters to house stray dogs picked up from public and institutional premises such as schools, colleges, hospitals, malls and bus stations.

The civic body’s veterinary department has proposed using vacant municipal plots at Talawade, Punawale, Mohannagar in Chinchwad, Shahunagar and Sadgurunagar in Bhosari for the shelters. The proposal has been forwarded to the land and estate department for further action. Each shelter is proposed to have a capacity of around 1,000 dogs.

The move follows directions issued by the Supreme Court regarding the removal of stray dogs from institutional premises, including schools, hospitals, sports complexes, bus stations and railway stations. The court has directed that dogs picked up from such premises be shifted to designated shelters after sterilisation and vaccination, and not released back at the same location.

PCMC currently has a facility at Nehrunagar in Pimpri with a capacity of around 216 dogs. The facility is primarily used for sterilisation and vaccination of stray dogs. However, the veterinary department said it cannot accommodate large numbers of dogs on a permanent basis, creating the need for separate shelters.

The proposed shelters will also have arrangements to house aggressive or potentially dangerous dogs.

Dr Arun Dagde, chief veterinary officer, PCMC, said the proposal for available municipal land had been forwarded to the land and estate department. The civic body will make arrangements for sterilisation, vaccination and, where required, keeping dogs at designated shelters in accordance with the court’s directions.