Thiruvananthapuram tops list of districts with most number of stray dog bites

Thiruvananthapuram district topped yet again on the list of districts that registered the maximum number of stray dog bites a year, with 58,108 persons seeking treatment for stray dog bites in the district’s government hospitals in 2025. The number is 8,000 more than that recorded in the district in 2024. The actual number of dog bites could be further more.

The number of stray dog bites across the State has also gone up. Kerala reported a total of 3.69 lakh dog bites in 2025, compared to 3.17 lakh dog bites 2024. A total of 33 people succumbed to rabies in the State in 2025, out of which one death was recorded in Thiruvananthapuram. The total number of rabies-related deaths in the State in 2024 was 26.

Kollam in second place

Among the districts, Kollam is in second place with 45,521 dog bite cases, Thrissur recorded 36,711 cases, Ernakulam 35,681 and Palakkad recorded 35,170 cases. Wayanad is yet again last on the list with 6,702 cases. Kollam and Alappuzha had the most number of rabies-related deaths, recording five deaths each.

The stray dog population in Thiruvananthapuram city is estimated at around 8,000, as per a ground-level survey conducted by the NGO Compassion for Animal Welfare Association (CAWA) for the city Corporation. As per the survey report, the numbers are pegged at 8,679, with a margin of error of 20%, which means that the numbers could range between 6,619 and 10,739.

The Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme, which began in 2013 in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, has been progressing mostly in fits and starts. The civic body has in recent years been sterilising an average of 100 stray dogs a month, making up an annual number of around 1,200. But this number needs to go up to about 4,000-5,000 sterilisations every year to control the stray dog population effectively.

Shelters

After the new administration took charge at the Corporation last month, the focus has shifted to transferring stray dogs caught from the city to shelters. The approach has led to some level of local opposition.