Will write to NGOs: Chandigarh Municipal Corporation urges residents to adopt stray dogs

Any individual or NGO will have to intimate the office of medical officer of health of the municipal corporation before adopting a stray dog.

3 min readChandigarhMar 24, 2017 06:05 AM IST

EVEN AS it has failed to curb the stray dog menace, the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation has appealed to city residents to adopt stray dogs as pets. As many as 10 to 12 cases of dog bites are reported everyday in the city, which has around 8,000 stray dogs according to the records of the civic body. Mayor Asha Jaswal issued an appeal through the media on Wednesday, seeking that city-based NGOs should come forward for adopting stray dogs. She said the efforts of local residents and NGOs would help many stray dogs find homes.

“If not fully grown dogs, the NGOs can at least train puppies. As far as I know, puppies when trained can even be sold to others. If everybody comes forward to adopt a stray dog, we would be successful in checking the menace to a large extent,” Jaswal told The Chandigarh Newsline. Jaswal said the only way to check the menace on the streets was if people could take over the responsibility of the stray dogs as their pets. She would write to all the NGOs to come forward for this initiative.

Any individual or NGO will have to intimate the office of medical officer of health of the municipal corporation before adopting a stray dog. Mayor Jaswal has already announced that those adopting the stray dogs would also be honoured by the civic body. People for Animals (PFA) chief Payal Sodhi said it was a really good initiative. “When an institution head or a government body comes forward with such an initiative, a person who is not a dog lover will also come forward to adopt the community dog.”

She added: “Moreover the street dogs are good scavengers and they are already trained. If I feed street dogs on my lane, they will guard my house. Similarly, if everybody on my lane starts feeding them and does not stone them away, they will guard the entire lane because they become familiar with the owner.” M S Kamboj, an official, said around 15 dogs are daily sterilised. He added, however, if people take up adoption, the problem could be solved to a large extent and the street dogs would not get violent and bite residents. “There are street dogs from neighbouring areas of Panchkula and Mohali that come in Chandigarh, but our sterilisation work is on in full swing,” said Kamboj.

Hina Rohtaki

Hina Rohtaki is a Special Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in Chandigarh. She is one of the most prominent journalists covering the Chandigarh Administration, civic issues, and the unique political status of the Union Territory. Professional Background Experience: She has been in the field for over a decade and is known for her investigative reporting on administrative waste and urban governance. Awards: She is a recipient of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award, which was presented to her by the President of India in January 2020. She was also awarded the Jethmalani prize (The Will of Steel Awards) in 2025 in the Empowerment category for a series of articles that highlighted the struggles of Covid widows. Core Beat: Her primary focus is the Chandigarh administrative structure, the Union Territory's financial management, and urban development projects. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent work highlights a focus on government accountability, administrative expenditures, and civic trends: 1. Investigative & Financial Reporting "Fuelling power: Senior UT IAS officers guzzled petrol worth Rs 30 lakh in 2 yrs" (Dec 14, 2025): An investigative report detailing the high fuel bills of top bureaucrats, including the Finance Secretary and Chief Secretary’s staff. "Admn spends Rs 1.5 crore on dismantling road railings and fixing again after increasing height" (Dec 8, 2025): Highlighting administrative waste on "non-viable" solutions for pedestrian control. "Chandigarh’s finances under ministry’s watch now" (Nov 27, 2025): Reporting on the new requirement for MHA approval for all new projects in the UT. 2. Governance & Constitutional Status "What will it mean for Chandigarh if it is brought under Article 240?" (Nov 24, 2025): An "Explained" piece on the potential constitutional shift that would grant the President more power over the UT's governance. "MP Manish Tewari moves Bill seeking directly elected Mayor with 5-year tenure" (Dec 6, 2025): Covering the legislative push to reform Chandigarh's municipal leadership structure. "No proposal to increase Mayor's term in Chandigarh by 5 years: Centre" (Dec 10, 2025): Reporting on the Union government's response to demands for a longer mayoral term. 3. Urban Infrastructure & Environment "Chandigarh admn cuts power to India's tallest air purifier, asks firm to dismantle it" (Nov 17, 2025): A critical report on the failure of a high-cost environmental project deemed "of no use" by experts. "UT rethinks 24/7 water supply project as costs soar" (Nov 26, 2025): Detailing the financial challenges and delays in modernizing the city's water network. "Centre 'obfuscating, covering up' MC's shifting deadlines for clearing Dadu Majra dump" (Dec 12, 2025): Reporting on the ongoing controversy surrounding the city's major waste dump. 4. Lifestyle & Local Trends "Chandigarh turns into a Thar city as women fuel the surge" (Dec 2, 2025): A feature on a unique automotive trend in the city, with a record 600 registrations by women drivers this year. "After fivefold spike in 2023, EV sales struggle to pick pace in Chandigarh" (Dec 2, 2025): Analyzing the slowdown in electric vehicle adoption despite previous surges. Signature Beat Hina is known for her meticulous tracking of RTI (Right to Information) data to expose administrative inefficiency. Her "Ground Zero" reporting on the Dadu Majra garbage dump and her scrutiny of the Chandigarh Smart City projects have made her a key figure in the city’s civil society discourse. X (Twitter): @HinaRohtaki ... Read More

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