On 23rd November, OpIndia received a reply from District Civil Hospital, Kurukshetra, Haryana, in response to an RTI filed a few months ago. In the reply, disturbing details about the scale of child dog bite cases in the district came to the fore. According to the data provided by DCH Kurukshetra, 3,355 children have been bitten by dogs between 2020 and 31st July 2025. It highlights the grim reality of the stray dog menace in the country.
Rising child dog bite cases in Kurukshetra
The year-wise data on child dog bites is scary. In 2020, the district recorded 335 child dog bite cases. In 2021, there were 251 such cases reported. The lower number of dog bite cases might be due to COVID-19 restrictions imposed across the country. Schools were closed, children were not going out to play and were staying inside during that period.
By 2022, when the restrictions were lifted, the incidents of child dog bites saw a rise. In that year, there were 831 cases reported. In 2023, the number again fell to 387 but climbed in 2024 when 693 cases were reported.
The worst year so far is 2025. In just seven months, 858 children have already suffered dog bites, forming 9.62% of all recorded cases this year. Kurukshetra reported on average 120 child attacks per month and if the trend continued, the district could end 2025 with around 1,450 child victims, the highest recorded since 2020.
Kurukshetra’s overall dog bite burden compared to Haryana’s state-wide load
Notably, OpIndia received data from 2001 to 2025 for Kurukshetra. There have been a total of 70,109 dog bite cases in 25 years in the district. Between 2020 and 31st July 2025, Kurukshetra recorded 44,133 total dog bite cases. OpIndia recieved state-wise data in a seperate RTI. Details about it can be seen in this report.
In 2020, Haryana registered 1,04,111 dog bite cases despite ongoing COVID-19 restrictions. In Kurukshetra, the number of dog bite cases stood at 6,301 (6.05%) of the total state burden. In 2021, the state recorded 94,522 cases while Kurukshetra reported 4,844 (5.12%) cases.
In 2022, the numbers dramatically dropped to 35,836 in the state, pointing towards under-reporting or administrative changes. However, Kurukshetra continued to report a high number of dog bite cases and recorded 6,951 (19.38%) of the total state burden.
In 2023, Haryana reported 42,690 cases and the district reported 6,519 (15.27%) cases. In 2024, the state saw 60,415 dog bite cases and Kurukshetra alone reported 10,602 cases (17.54%) of the total state burden. In 2025, Haryana reported 48,792 dog bite cases and the district reported 8,916 (18.28%) cases till 31st July.
The broader crisis, Supreme Court case and resistance from self-styled dog lovers
These rising numbers are being reported at a time when the Supreme Court is hearing a suo motu case on the growing dog menace. The court has already ordered the removal of dogs from schools, colleges, hospitals, railway stations and bus stands.
However, despite the escalating attacks, particularly on minors, self-styled dog lovers and certain NGOs continue to resist even basic safety measures. These groups and individuals have been pushing a narrative that the dog bite data is fudged and the Supreme Court should withdraw the directions to remove dogs from public and private institutions. The ideological and emotion-driven narrative of these individuals and NGOs is whitewashing the scale of the stray dog menace in the country.
Families in India have been bearing the physical, financial and emotional burden of dog attacks for years. Anti-rabies injections, hospital visits, school interruptions and psychological trauma have become recurring realities for hundreds of children. However, these so-called activists are not stepping back from spreading the propaganda that the apex court, the central and state governments and those who are seeking safe streets are against animal welfare.
The 3,355 child victims of dog bites reported in Kurukshetra between 2020 and mid-2025 show the magnitude of the crisis. Without decisive action, the risk to children will continue to grow, and districts like Kurukshetra will remain vulnerable to the rising dog menace in the country.
OpIndia is doing a series on stray dog menace that can be checked here.
