Daijiworld Media Network- Mumbai

Mumbai, Apr 4: A decade-long survey conducted by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in collaboration with Humane Society International/India (HSI) has revealed a notable decline in Mumbai’s stray dog population. The count has dropped from 95,172 to 90,757, reflecting a reduction of approximately 5,000 dogs over the past ten years.

According to the 2024 census, the density of stray dogs across 19 civic wards has decreased by 31.6%. However, a contrasting trend was observed in four wards — E-Byculla, N-Ghatkopar, R South-Kandivali, and T-Mulund — where the dog density increased by 19.9%. In D-Pedder Road and Malabar Hill, the density remained unchanged, indicating varied population trends across different areas of the city.

Deputy Municipal Commissioner Chanda Jadhav, who released the report at the BMC headquarters on Thursday, credited the overall decline in stray dog numbers to successful sterilisation efforts. However, the rise in dog density in certain wards was attributed to possible migration from other areas.

The extensive survey covered approximately 930 km of Mumbai’s streets, revealing an average of 8.01 dogs per km compared to 10.54 dogs per km in the previous survey conducted in 2014. In slum areas, the density was recorded at 224 dogs per sq. km, indicating a reduction of 21.8% in dog density on the streets and 27.4% in slums over the last decade.

Between 2014 and 2023, a total of 1,48,084 dogs were sterilised, with the highest number of sterilisations (24,290) occurring in 2017, while the lowest (6,414) was recorded in 2015. The average annual sterilisation during this period was around 14,808 dogs.

Survey Statistics:

• Total length of streets covered: 2,353.96 km

• Slum areas surveyed: 1,622

• Dogs on streets: 19,436

• Dogs in slums: 8,436

• Total roaming dogs: 48,585

• Dogs in slums: 21,094