Maharashtra to Build Three Mumbai Dog Shelters in Six Months to Tackle Stray Population
The Maharashtra state government has announced plans to build three new dog shelters in Mumbai over the next six months to manage the city's growing stray dog population. State Industries Minister Uday Samant disclosed the plan during a state legislature session, which saw lawmakers raise urgent civic safety concerns, including Congress MLA Amin Patel's report of seeing seven stray dogs roaming the lobby of Nair Hospital in Mumbai.
According to a recent survey cited by Samant, Maharashtra is home to approximately 14.8 lakh stray dogs, with 94,000 of them located in Mumbai. To address the issue, the municipal corporations of Mumbai, Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad, Nasik, and the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) have resolved to set up dedicated Animal Birth Control Shelters.
Samant stated that the state may utilize resources from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to tackle the stray dog issue. Furthermore, all municipal corporations in Maharashtra have been directed to strictly implement the Supreme Court's directives on managing stray animals.
The legislative debate was initiated by Shiv Sena MLA Arjun Khotkar, who highlighted the severity of the issue by pointing to Jalna, where 93 people were bitten by stray dogs in a single week. Khotkar called for urgent action against canine packs, noting that several young children have been killed in such attacks.
Congress MLA Amin Patel pressed the government on the progress of previously promised infrastructure, asking when the animal shelters earlier announced by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis would be completed. Patel highlighted the immediate nature of the problem by describing his recent visit to Nair Hospital, where he encountered seven dogs inside the facility's lobby.
In terms of medical interventions, Samant informed the legislature about the state's vaccination progress, stating that 3.2 lakh stray dogs and 4.8 lakh stray dogs had been vaccinated across Maharashtra in 2025.
