Mangaluru: In response to increasing complaints about stray dogs, the district administration has decided to establish shelters for stray dogs in all taluks of Dakshina Kannada, Deputy Commissioner Darshan H V said.

He was speaking after chairing a district-level surveillance committee meeting of the health department held at the Deputy Commissioner’s office on Friday. He said steps have already been initiated to set up such a facility in Mangaluru taluk.

The Deputy Commissioner also directed urban local bodies and gram panchayats to take appropriate measures, including birth control programmes, to manage the stray dog population.

He instructed health officials to ensure adequate stock of vaccines and essential medicines at health centres to treat cases of dog bites, snake bites and similar incidents. He added that the public should seek treatment without delay in such cases to avoid complications.

District Surveillance Officer Dr Naveen Chandra said that 20,487 dog bite cases were reported in 2023, 20,071 in 2024 and 27,481 in 2025 in the district. These include both stray and pet dog bite cases. In 2025 alone, 21,673 cases were caused by pet dogs and 5,808 by stray dogs.

He also stated that two deaths due to dog bites have been reported in the past three years. In addition, 10 people have died due to snake bites during the same period.

Regarding leptospirosis (rat fever), 203 cases were reported in 2023, 283 in 2024 and 265 in 2025. Three deaths were reported in 2023 and 2024.

District Health Officer Dr Thimmayya said that increased awareness among the public about the effects of dog and snake bites has led to more people seeking immediate treatment, resulting in a higher number of reported cases.

Deputy Director of Animal Husbandry Arun Kumar Shetty, Joint Director of Agriculture Honnappa Gowda and other officials were present at the meeting.