20 Dog Bite Complaints a Day, Proof in Only 2: AMC to Overhaul Stray Dog Policy

The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation is set to completely revamp its policy on capturing and releasing stray dogs following a glaring mismatch between public complaints and verified incidents. Official data reveals that while the civic body receives an average of 20 dog bite complaints every day across Ahmedabad, concrete evidence or CCTV proof supports these claims at barely two locations daily.

This stark divide between reported incidents and ground realities has prompted city officials to reconsider how they handle aggressive strays, moving away from a blanket response to a strictly evidence-backed approach.

Moving Beyond Automatic Catch-and-Release

Under the current system, standard operating procedure dictates that once a dog bite complaint is registered, animal control teams capture the targeted stray, conduct mandatory health checks or sterilisation procedures, and release it back into the exact same locality.

Civic officials acknowledge that this loop creates major safety risks when dealing with genuinely aggressive animals. Releasing a verified, territorial biter back onto the same street leaves residents vulnerable to repeated attacks, exposing a critical flaw in the existing framework.

Strict Proof Required Before Animal Control Moves In

The proposed policy will discard the practice of automatically dispatching catch squads based solely on a phone call or digital complaint. Moving forward, the corporation plans to institute a rigorous verification system to vet every report before taking action.

Key factors under consideration for the new standard operating procedure include:

• Incident Verification: Cross-checking local camera footage or medical records to confirm an actual bite took place.
• Behavioural Assessment: Evaluating the animal's aggression levels rather than assuming guilt based on community panic.
• Complaint History: Tracking historical logs to identify repeat incidents associated with specific strays or locations.

New Protocols for Evaluation and Relocation

Alongside stricter verification, the civic body is drafting clear criteria on how to handle dogs after they are taken into custody. Rather than instantly returning animals to their original territories, trained handlers will assess each dog's behaviour to determine whether it can safely return to the neighbourhood or requires long-term shelter care.

Officials believe the updated policy will hit the right balance. By filtering out unverified reports, animal control teams can focus resources on removing genuinely dangerous strays from public streets while preventing the unnecessary capture and stress of passive community dogs.