Patiala, Feb. 18 -- The dog bite cases in Punjab have seen a threefold rise in the past five years. From 1.10 lakh cases in 2020, the state reported a staggering 3.34 lakh dog bite cases in 2025, the highest ever recorded in a single year. Till January this year, the state has logged 32,875 cases. The latest data, presented by health officials during a two-day civil surgeon conference, revealed that Punjab reported nearly 915 dog bite cases every day in 2025. According to the Punjab health department data, a copy of which is with HT, Amritsar was the worst-affected district with 58,221 cases in 2025. Ludhiana was second with 41,086 cases, followed by Patiala with 26,194 cases. State recorded 1,10,472 cases in 2020, which rose to 1,26,842 in 2021. The year 2022 saw the state recording 1,65,133 cases, followed by 2,02,439 cases in 2023. In 2024, the state logged 2,13,521 cases, followed by 3,34,736 cases in 2025. Health department officials said that 2.63 lakh cases were categorised as Grade-2 dog bites, while 58,270 cases were Grade-3. A health department official said a Grade-2 dog bite involves contact of the dog's teeth with the skin without laceration, resulting in marks, scrapes or minor bruising, and requires only anti-rabies vaccination (ARV). Grade-3 bites involve one or multiple transdermal bites or contamination of mucous membranes with saliva and require administration of anti-rabies serum (ARS) along with vaccines. The officials rued the fact that despite free treatment available at all government health institutions, only 70% of the patients complete all four doses of ARV. "Despite free treatment, people often do not complete the entire vaccination schedule. We have to repeatedly call victims and request them to come for their remaining doses," said Dr Amandev Singh, assistant professor, department of community medicine at Government Medical College, Patiala. He added that nearly 80% of the dog bite cases involved stray dogs, highlighting the growing menace of bites in cities. Kamal Anand, an RTI activist from Sangrur, who recently filed a complaint with the chief minister over the stray dog problem, said, dog bites have become a terrifying daily routine. "Children in Sangrur are being attacked and bitten by stray dogs while authorities look the other way. The municipal council and the district administration are failing miserably in their duty. Our streets are no longer safe for our children," he said. Anand added that the animal birth control (ABC) has failed miserably in the state due to official apathy. "The strays' population has surged across cities and towns. People are vulnerable, and officials are turning a blind eye to the menace. Also, the Punjab health department is yet to issue standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the government doctors on whose diagnosis the compensation for dog bite cases would be fixed," he added. Health officials said that the availability of anti-rabies vaccines has now been extended to Aam Aadmi Clinics across the state. A senior health official, requesting anonymity as he is not authorised to speak to the media, said, from district hospitals to Aam Aadmi Clinics, anti-rabies vaccines are available at every level. "People must visit the nearest health facility immediately after a dog bite. Rabies is 100% fatal, but it is completely preventable with timely treatment," he added....