This is an archive article published on July 12, 2025
BBMP launches scheme to feed stray dogs, likely to cost civic body Rs 2.9 crore every year
Bengaluru has an estimated 2.79 lakh stray dogs, with over 16,000 dog bite cases reported in May 2025 alone.
Supreme Court directed government of Delhi, civic bodies, and authorities of Noida, Gurgaon, and Ghaziabad to shift stray dogs to dedicated shelters within eight weeks.
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has recently rolled out a scheme to provide daily nutritious meals to around 4,000-5,000 stray dogs across the city’s eight zones.
Branded ‘Kukkir Tihar’, the program is a one-year pilot, extendable by another year based on its success. The BBMP said the initiative is part of its larger ‘One Health’ program, which also includes vaccination and animal birth control (ABC) efforts.
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Civic officials said the program, estimated to cost Rs 2.8-2.9 crore annually, is aimed at curbing stray dog aggression, reducing bite cases – which currently range between 500 and 1,500 per month – and supporting rabies control efforts through better monitoring and vaccination.
Under the scheme, each dog receives a meal weighing between 367 and 600 gram, comprising 150 gram of chicken, 100 gram each of rice and vegetables, 10 gram of oil, and a pinch of salt and turmeric, delivering 465-750 kilocalories per serving. These meals are prepared in centralised FSSAI-registered kitchens equipped with CCTV surveillance and are distributed at 100-125 feeding points per zone before 11 am daily.
The BBMP has invited tenders to onboard vendors for food preparation and for maintaining cleanliness around feeding spots.
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However, Tamil Nadu Congress MP Karti P Chidambaram and many local residents have questioned the BBMP’s priorities, arguing that funds would be better spent on sterilisation, vaccinations, or building shelters. Others have pointed out that the city spends Rs 22 per dog per day on meals, while the per-day mid-day meal allocation for a schoolchild stands at Rs 12.42.
“Is this true? Dogs have no place in the streets. They need to be relocated to shelters, where they can be fed, vaccinated & sterilised. Feeding & keeping them in a free roaming state in the streets is a huge health & safety hazard,” Chidambaram wrote on X.
Reacting to the criticisms, a BBMP official said, “The feeding program will also help in tracking, vaccinating, and sterilising dogs as part of Bengaluru’s goal to eliminate rabies by 2030. Additionally, regular feeding improves the dogs’ overall health, reducing aggression linked to hunger and aiding sterilisation efforts.”
Bengaluru has an estimated 2.79 lakh stray dogs, with over 16,000 dog bite cases reported in May 2025 alone.
Supreme Court directed government of Delhi, civic bodies, and authorities of Noida, Gurgaon, and Ghaziabad to shift stray dogs to dedicated shelters within eight weeks. 
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