The alarming incidence of dog bites in Mumbai during 2025, revealed by an RTI application, should compel the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to assess the true scale of the problem today. In absolute terms, the figure of 154,017 dog bite cases—or an average of 17 bites an hour—last year seems extraordinary. To put it in perspective, the Supreme Court also intervened in November 2025 to end the menace, and it is unclear whether the BMC has made substantial progress since. The social backdrop to dog bite cases in India is unique, given that major cities have several working-class communities where free-ranging dogs enjoy much love and support. But a free run of the streets also exposes these animals to the rabies virus, and plentiful food helps........

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