Chandigarh, October 17 — Punjab is witnessing an alarming rise in dog bite incidents, with the state reporting nearly 930 cases every day this year. Official data from the state health department shows that by September 30, Punjab had already recorded 2.5 lakh cases — exceeding last year’s total of 2.13 lakh.
According to the figures, Amritsar has reported the highest number of cases at 40,331, followed by Ludhiana (27,701) and Patiala (18,047). The data reveals a steady increase over the past five years — from 1.1 lakh cases in 2020 to 2.5 lakh by September 2025.
Health officials said that out of the total cases, nearly 1.7 lakh were classified as grade-2 bites and around 38,852 as grade-3. Grade-2 cases involve minor bruising or skin contact without deep cuts, while grade-3 refers to deeper wounds or multiple transdermal bites that can cause contamination through saliva.
“Almost 80% of dog bite cases are caused by stray dogs,” said Dr. Amandev Singh, assistant professor in the community medicine department at Government Medical College, Patiala. He added that grade-3 bite victims require both anti-rabies serum (ARS) and vaccination, while grade-2 cases need only the vaccine.
Dr. Sumeet Singh, programme officer for the National Rabies Control Programme, said rabies is “100% fatal but completely preventable with timely treatment.” He urged people not to ignore even minor bites. “Treatment is available free of cost at all government health centres,” he noted.
Despite the growing number of cases, the state government has yet to introduce a policy or standard operating procedure (SOP) for compensating victims. A five-member committee was set up last year following a Punjab and Haryana High Court directive, but no policy has been formally notified so far.
The High Court had recommended ₹10,000 compensation for each bite mark and ₹20,000 for every 0.2 cm of deep wound where flesh was bitten off. However, victims continue to face hurdles in securing compensation.
A dog bite victim in Patiala, who requested anonymity, said he approached a local court under the High Court’s guidelines but was denied compensation as “no formal policy exists.”
A senior IAS officer also confirmed the administrative delay. “The government has not yet framed the required guidelines. We have written to the state government to issue a policy for compensating dog bite victims,” the officer said.
Public health experts have warned that the lack of a compensation policy and growing stray dog population could worsen the situation unless urgent measures are taken to control the menace and ensure timely treatment for all victims.
