Bombay HC demands Maharashtra stray dog census over rabies vaccine gaps

The Bombay High Court has ordered the Maharashtra government to produce a complete census of the state's stray dog population, warning that a lack of basic data makes it impossible to judge whether sterilisation and rabies vaccination campaigns are actually working.

A bench of Chief Justice MC Tripathi and Justice Advait Sethna expressed serious concern over major gaps in the state’s rabies prevention efforts. During a suo motu hearing, the court was informed that more than a hundred government hospitals are currently without anti-rabies vaccines, and nearly half lack critical rabies immunoglobulin treatments.

The court took up the issue following a Supreme Court directive instructing high courts to monitor how state administrations are implementing local animal control guidelines.

Where are the stray dogs?

"We don't know the population of the strays," amicus curiae Mihir Desai told the court. He argued that without a reliable baseline, the success of any animal birth control drive remains guesswork.

Desai presented data showing that while urban local bodies had sterilised 150,594 dogs over the previous six months, the state's efforts were severely hampered by healthcare shortages. Out of Maharashtra's 831 government hospitals, 128 do not have anti-rabies vaccines, and 381 lack rabies immunoglobulin. Additionally, the state has failed to set up a dedicated helpline for dog-bite incidents.

The court also questioned the relocation of stray dogs from institutional premises. Of the 19,694 dogs found inside urban institutions, only 1,479 — roughly 7.5 per cent — have been moved to shelters. For rural areas, the government’s filings simply marked relocation data as "not applicable".

The state’s Additional Government Pleader assured the court that the administration is not treating the case as adversarial and is open to suggestions. The government argued that a five-yearly livestock census could provide approximate population figures and noted that 13,382 sterilisations were conducted across the state in September 2026. The next hearing has been scheduled for November 2, when the state must submit its updated census and compliance reports.

Skeleton staff in public bodies

In a separate development at the High Court's Kolhapur Bench, a public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed demanding that the Maharashtra government immediately fill vacancies across 14 state bodies.

The petition, filed by student activist Vivekanand Patil, warns that chronic staffing shortages are stalling the careers of some 400,000 exam aspirants and crippling public administration. Among the worst-hit is the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC), which is missing 92 of its 270 sanctioned staff.

According to the PIL, represented by Advocate Asim Sarode, the vacancy crisis extends to vital watchdog and welfare bodies. The State Human Rights Commission has 29 vacancies out of 54 positions, the Lokayukta is short of 33 staff, and the Mahatma Phule Backward Class Development Corporation is running on a skeleton crew of just 20 employees against 267 sanctioned posts — a vacancy rate of over 92 per cent.

The petitioner argues that these vacancies violate constitutional rights to equality and life by stalling welfare schemes and delaying recruitment, and has asked the court to force the government to disclose a clear timeline for filling the posts.