Punjab’s Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Industries and Commerce, Sanjeev Arora, inaugurated the state’s first government-run dog sanctuary at the Haibowal Dairy Complex in Ludhiana on Sunday, an initiative aimed at reducing rampant stray dog bite incidents and improving humane care for vulnerable canines.
With a capacity of around 500 dogs, the sanctuary is a pilot project that authorities plan to replicate across the state. The move follows years of rising bite cases in Ludhiana which recorded 13,728 attacks in 2025, the highest in recent years and comes amid ongoing legal scrutiny and public demands for effective stray dog management. Officials and residents alike have welcomed the measure, even as experts stress the need for comprehensive strategies beyond a single facility.
Sanctuary Opens With Focus on Safety and Humane Care
Punjab’s first dog sanctuary was inaugurated by Minister Sanjeev Arora at the Haibowal Dairy Complex, signalling a significant policy shift towards structured stray dog management.
Terming it a “pioneering initiative”, Arora said the facility aims to reduce dog bite cases in Ludhiana while ensuring proper medical care, shelter and humane treatment for stray dogs. The centre, set up with an initial capacity to house around 500 dogs, is being run in line with Supreme Court guidelines on stray animal welfare and management, Arora emphasised.
The minister also underscored that the sanctuary fulfils a poll promise made to the city’s residents and that its success will inform the establishment of more such facilities across Punjab in the coming months.
He stressed that all protocols and directions issued by the Supreme Court regarding stray dog care and control will be strictly followed. Civic officials, including Ludhiana’s mayor Inderjit Kaur, deputy mayor Prince Johar, deputy commissioner Himanshu Jain and councillors, were present at the ceremony.
Local bodies are expected to play a key part in the sanctuary’s operational framework. Councillors have been asked to identify aggressive, injured or sick dogs in their wards and coordinate with Municipal Corporation (MC) teams for rescue and transfer to the facility.
Sanctuary staff have already begun bringing in dogs; within two days of opening, around 20 animals including puppies and adult strays were housed, with provisions for separating aggressive animals into separate enclosures for safety and proper care.
Growing Stray Menace Sparks Urgent Action
The sanctuary’s opening comes against a backdrop of mounting public concern over stray dog incidents in Ludhiana and elsewhere in Punjab. According to recent figures, Ludhiana recorded 13,728 dog bite cases in 2025, the highest number in the last five years, with multiple serious injuries and fatalities reported in the city and neighbouring districts.
For many residents, stray dogs have become a daily hazard. In December 2025, Ludhiana’s mayor personally visited a 10-year-old boy injured by a stray dog, reaffirming the Municipal Corporation’s commitment to both sterilisation campaigns and the dog pound project now evolving into the sanctuary. The civic body has sterilised over 1.19 lakh stray dogs so far, a reflection of sustained, if uneven, efforts to curb the population.
Legal developments have also shaped the policy environment. The Supreme Court has been actively hearing cases related to stray dogs and has emphasised humane management in accordance with the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules rather than indiscriminate removal from streets. Recently, the apex court clarified it has not ordered the blanket removal of all dogs from streets, but reiterated that authorities must treat them under established humane protocols.
Moreover, the Supreme Court has directed measures to prevent stray dogs from entering sensitive public spaces such as schools and hospitals and has urged identification of hotspots where frequent bite incidents occur. Its directions aim to balance public safety with animal welfare obligations, touching on clean urban waste disposal practices and structured relocation where necessary.
Despite these guidelines, residents have written to the Punjab Chief Minister seeking stronger action, pointing out that stray dog attacks are frequent and that earlier proposals such as a larger sanctuary on Hambran Road for over 2,000 dogs remain unrealised on the ground.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
The inauguration of Punjab’s first state-run dog sanctuary marks a cautiously hopeful turn in the long-running debate over managing stray animals. It suggests that policymakers are recognising the need for structured, humane solutions that prioritise both public safety and animal welfare.
For too long, stray dog incidents have sparked polarised reactions from calls for punitive measures to heartfelt pleas for compassion without yielding sustainable progress. By combining shelter, medical care, sterilisation and legal compliance, this sanctuary could become a model of responsible coexistence.
