Mumbai News: BMC Launches Six-Month Rabies Vaccination Drive For Stray Dogs To Make City Rabies-Free

The BMC has taken the initiative of making Mumbai rabies-free. In line with this goal, a mass rabies vaccination campaign for stray dogs across the Mumbai is being conducted from September 1, 2025, to March 15, 2026, jointly by the BMC and various animal welfare organisations. The civic body has appealed the local residents, welfare organizations, housing societies, animal feeders, and animal welfare workers should actively participate in the campaign. 

Rising Dog Bite Complaints

According to civic sources, the BMC received approximately 150 dog bite complaints per week until the end of 2024. Between January and August 2025 alone, over 10,000 complaints have already been registered. To make Mumbai rabies-free, the BMC, in collaboration with animal welfare organizations such as Youth Organisation in Defence of Animals, Utkarsh Global Foundation, and Universal Animal Welfare Society, has launched a six-month campaign to vaccinate stray dogs. The campaign seeks to vaccinate stray dogs widely to cut rabies-related deaths, support animal welfare, and protect the community.

Civic Appeal for Public Support

Dr. Kaleempasha Pathan, Head of the Veterinary Health Department said, "We have requested local residents, welfare organisations, housing societies, animal feeders, and animal caregivers to actively participate in the campaign. We have appeal them to cooperate by allowing vaccination staff and volunteers access to their areas and assisting in identifying stray dogs for vaccination."

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Sterilisation and Population Control Efforts

As per civic data, Mumbai records an average of 70,000 dog bite cases annually. A survey conducted in 2024, by the BMC in collaboration with Humane Society International/India (HSI) revealed that over the past 29 years, 4.3 lakh stray dogs have been sterilised in Mumbai, reducing the population from 95,172 to 90,757 in the last decade. Between 1994 and December 2023, the BMC sterilised 4,03,374 dogs – 1,48,084 of them between 2014 and 2023, with the highest annual count in 2017 (24,290) and the lowest in 2015 (6,414). The average annual sterilisation rate stands at 14,808. The report also noted that 76% of sterilised dogs survived, while 24% died over the 29 years.

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