In Yacharam village, Telangana, residents endure frequent dog bites while facing charges for allegedly killing stray dogs. Police have recovered 30 carcasses amid claims of up to 100 deaths locally. The incident highlights tensions in stray dog management as the Supreme Court examines related petitions.
Yacharam, a village 50 km from Hyderabad in Ranga Reddy district, has become a focal point in India's stray dog debate. Between January 2025 and 2026, the local Primary Health Centre recorded 109 dog bite cases in Yacharam alone, with 667 incidents across 24 nearby villages. Statewide, Telangana reported 1.22 lakh dog bites in 2024. A nurse at the PHC, J Deepthi, described severe cases, including a five-year-old child with a head bite that nearly tore off her eyebrow and a 35-year-old with a deep calf wound. Both required transfer to larger facilities for advanced care, straining villagers' resources.
Frustrated residents, like a 55-year-old whose niece was bitten, expressed exhaustion: “We are tired of dog bites. We need the government to step up and do something.” Another villager noted the ongoing presence of strays: “The menace is far from over. We really don’t know what to do with the dogs and the government too seems to be clueless.”
In response, villagers allegedly killed around 100 dogs this month, part of broader claims by NGO Stray Animals Foundation of India (SAFI) of 900 deaths across four districts. Police estimate 370 total and have booked 17 people, including five sarpanchs like Yacharam's Anitha, under animal cruelty laws. No arrests have occurred. Anitha denied involvement, citing illness.
The killings surfaced after a pet owner reported a missing dog. SAFI's M Preethi suggested sarpanchs hired pest controllers. Telangana Panchayat Raj Minister Danasari Anasuya condemned the acts as illegal, advocating sterilization and vaccination. SAFI promotes adoption and community care for strays.
The Supreme Court recently mandated heavy compensation for bites and banned street feeding, but locals say poultry waste sustains the dogs. Yacharam also reports 68 monkey bites and 44 cat attacks in the same period, compounding health concerns. Nurses highlight the burden: “The case load is difficult for us to handle.”
