MADURAI: Over a period of nearly 10 months -- from June 2025 to March 26, 2026 -- as many as 3,953 people were treated for dog bite cases at the Thirumangalam Government Hospital, averaging at 395 cases a month. Fortunately, no rabies-related death was recorded in the Thirumangalam taluk and municipality for the past two years.
Last November recorded the highest number of dog bite cases in a month, with a total of 420, while March 2026 (till last Thursday) recorded the lowest at 308 cases so far. The residents, belonging to all age groups, from Valayankulam, Alangulam, Narayanapuram, Thoppur, and Melakottai villages account for the majority of the victims of dog bite cases in the hospital.
According to hospital records, one in every 20 dog bite cases involved patients who had sustained deep muscle wounds, and as a precaution, immunoglobulin injections were administered to them, said hospital staff. Currently, 20-25 such cases are being treated every month. The hospital added that no bone fracture case, including hairline fractures, related to dog bite incidents has been recorded so far.
P Muthupillai, former president of Valayankulam panchayat, told TNIE that the uncontrollable stray dog problem has added significant stress to nearly 3,000 residents of the village, who are already grappling with several issues. He said the residents were initially advised not to feed the dogs, but the measure turned ineffective as the dogs began surviving on poultry waste, fish remains from markets, and discarded meat from village festivities. He said the animals also started seeking shelter in dense bushes and under old trees.
Muthupillai said that their population doubled in no time and the villagers hired dog catchers, paying them Rs 150 per dog, to have the animals moved away from the village. It only provided temporary relief, as the dogs returned in two weeks, he added.
A sanitary officer from the Thirumangalam Municipality said the civic body operates an Animal Birth Control (ABC) unit with the support of veterinarians from the Animal Husbandry department.
The officer said the jurisdiction does not authorise them to carry out animal birth control measures in villages or panchayats in the rural segments of the Thirumangalam taluk, besides alleging inadequate fund allocation for said activities.