Pune: A month after the death of a woman (32) in a stray dog attack on a service road off the Pune-Nashik highway, the Chakan Municipal Council has initiated a slew of measures to prevent such fatal incidents.The steps include approving a proposal at a recent general body meeting to increase the capacity of the civic dog shelter from 50 to 100 animals. The sterilisation drive across the town has also been expedited.Chief officer of the council Ankush Jadhav told TOI: “A private agency has been given the contract to conduct the sterilisation and vaccination drive. It has sterilised around 150 dogs in the last 30 days. The drive will continue over the next few weeks.”The council has sent notices to neighbouring gram panchayats, telling them to not dump garbage along the boundary areas or open spaces. Jadhav said, “It was essential to caution them since such dumping sites have become feeding points for stray dogs. They gather in large numbers and do not leave the town. Proper garbage disposal by neighbouring bodies will help mitigate the issue.”Chakan is known for its traditional and APMC markets in Khed tehsil. It is also a major industrial hub with a dense population. The town generates around five tonne of garbage daily.Meanwhile, activists and residents have pointed out that the council’s sterilisation drive is late by two years at least. “The council awarded the contract in 2024, but the actual drive began in Oct 2025. Why the delay? Who is to be held accountable for the stray dog attacks?” said Mayur Mungse, a local activist from the Rase village. He said the council acted only after the woman’s death recently.Resident Satish Bhadale said, “The dog shelter work should be completed at the earliest, ideally before monsoon. The council must also enhance garbage collection and processing capacity in view of the growing population.”Additionally, some activists alleged that stray dogs from nearby city areas were being released in Chakan. Resident Kiran Kad said, “We have often seen dogs being released in our town. This must stop or we cannot rule out more fatal attacks.”Chakan Rural Hospital officials told TOI that they receive at least 20 stray dog attack cases daily. “It is a major issue. Patients with serious injuries often need to be shifted to hospitals in Pimpri-Chinchwad,” said a doctor from the hospital.
