Karnataka Stray Dog Crisis Back In Focus As 6-Year-Old Girl Mauled In Vijayapura

Last Updated:February 19, 2026, 03:01 IST

The quick actions of a local shopkeeper and nearby residents prevented a fatality, as CCTV footage revealed the pack had surrounded the child and begun dragging her

The attack on six-year-old Anvitha Mallikarjun Shetty in Vijayapura’s KSRTC Colony has intensified an already heated debate regarding the stray dog crisis in Karnataka. As of February 2026, the situation in Vijayapura has reached a critical point, with recent data from the health department indicating that over 27,990 dog bite cases were reported in the district within the last year alone. In the first 44 days of 2026, the government community health centre in the city has already treated 144 individuals for animal attacks, highlighting a persistent and dangerous trend.

Medical professionals at the district hospital have confirmed that Anvitha sustained deep lacerations, with the most critical injury being a severe wound to one of her eyes that may require specialist ophthalmological intervention. The quick actions of a local shopkeeper and nearby residents were instrumental in preventing a fatality, as CCTV footage revealed the pack had surrounded the child and begun dragging her. This incident follows a string of similar attacks in the same locality, including a serious injury to a young boy just two months ago, which residents claim was reported to the Vijayapura City Corporation with no tangible result.

The broader context of this menace across Karnataka is equally alarming. Statistics presented in the state legislature show that dog bite cases surged by 36% in the previous year, crossing 2.3 lakh cases statewide with nearly 20 confirmed rabies-related fatalities. Vijayapura consistently ranks among the top three districts for such incidents, alongside Hassan and the BBMP limits in Bengaluru. The crisis has become so pervasive that the state government recently issued a controversial directive appointing government schoolteachers as “nodal officers" for canine management, tasked with counting strays and coordinating with local bodies, a move that has faced stiff opposition from educators’ unions.

Local authorities in Vijayapura often cite legal constraints for their inability to curb the population, specifically pointing to Supreme Court directives and the Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules 2023, which prohibit the culling or permanent relocation of strays unless they are rabid or incurably ill. While the city corporation has announced plans for a large-scale sterilisation and vaccination drive in response to Anvitha’s attack, residents remain sceptical. The public outcry has reached the Karnataka High Court, where various petitions are currently challenging the efficacy of existing animal control policies, arguing that the right to safe public spaces is being overshadowed by poorly implemented welfare laws.

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