50 bites in a week but no dog shelter in sight

Fifty people were bitten by stray dogs in Solan city over a week as the municipality has yet to open a dog shelter. Municipal Commissioner Rajdeep Singh said the city’s stray dog population is about 1,500 and a mass sterilisation drive launched on 1 Oct has so far sterilised roughly 800 dogs, though the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023‑compliant centre can handle only 25‑30 animals weekly. The Solan Municipal Corporation (MC) requested the Deputy Commissioner on 14 Jul to transfer two buildings along the Shamti bypass, but the handover remains pending after more than three months, delaying shelter construction. The MC has sought Rs 54 lakh from the Urban Development Department to fund the shelters, while the Animal Husbandry Department spends Rs 1,200‑1,500 per dog for surgeries and lacks a system for biomedical waste disposal. “We are awaiting the transfer of the two buildings,” Singh warned.