Chandigarh: The Punjab government is set to launch a major campaign against dangerous stray dogs following the recent observations of the Supreme Court of India on the growing menace of stray animals and public safety concerns.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision and announced that a special drive would begin from May 22 to deal with aggressive and life-threatening stray dogs.
In a post on X, Mann said the Aam Aadmi Party government would act against stray dogs posing a threat to children and pedestrians.
However, the proposed campaign has triggered criticism and debate from several quarters, including Punjabi film personalities and singers. Some actors questioned how such a large-scale campaign could be implemented without proper infrastructure and rehabilitation systems in place.
Punjabi singer Rupinder Handa also reacted to the issue, saying that governments do not have the right to take lives.
Earlier, on March 10, 2026, the Punjab State Human Rights Commission had taken suo motu notice of rising dog bite cases and sought reports from municipal corporations and the Health Department regarding the increasing incidents.
The commission cited media reports stating that over 3.34 lakh dog bite cases were recorded in Punjab during 2025, while more than 50,000 cases have already been reported in 2026 so far.
The commission, headed by Justice Sant Parkash and member Justice Gurbir Singh, had issued notices to municipal commissioners of Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Patiala and Sangrur, along with the Director of Health and Family Welfare, Punjab.
The commission described the figure of 3.34 lakh dog bite cases as alarming and warned that stray dogs had become a serious public safety concern.
It further observed that if compensation were awarded in all reported dog bite cases, the financial burden on the Punjab government could exceed ₹2,000 crore. The commission noted that even a single municipal council like Sangrur could face compensation liabilities of nearly ₹10 crore.
