Panchkula, May 9 -- During its 2020 municipal poll campaign, the BJP promised to free Panchkula of stray animals, particularly dogs and cattle. Five years on, rising dog bite cases and cattle roaming free on city roads have left residents questioning the fate of that poll promise. According to official records, Civil Hospital, Sector 6, reported 14,863 dog bite cases last year, up from 10,875 in 2024 and 10,161 in 2023, despite ongoing sterilisation drives under the Animal Birth Control (ABC) rules. From January to March this year alone, the hospital recorded 3,249 dog bite cases. Doctors said around 15 to 20 such cases are reported daily, though the number has slightly declined in recent days. Residents allege that the sterilisation drive exists largely on paper. Mohit Gupta, a Sector 25 resident and founder of the Solution Box WhatsApp group, said the stray dog population continues to rise despite the MC's campaign. He alleged that calls made to the agency responsible for catching dogs often go unanswered, and teams fail to visit even after repeated complaints. "We approached several MC officials, including the commissioner, but no concrete action was taken," Gupta said. Similarly, Sarita Sood of Sector 25 alleged that despite repeated calls over the past two years, no action was taken. She claimed a team member once asked her to keep a dog near her house for easier capture, but the team never arrived. The female dog later delivered puppies last year and again this year, further increasing the population. The human cost of this negligence was highlighted recently in Pinjore, where a five-year-old boy suffered facial injuries after being bitten on the lips. Despite Punjab and Haryana high court directions in November 2023 on compensation, many victims are still struggling. The court fixed a minimum compensation of Rs.10,000 per tooth mark and Rs.20,000 per 0.2 cm of torn flesh. Last month, the local administration processed only a limited number of claims. Most cases could not be decided as government hospitals failed to record crucial details like the number of teeth marks and depth of wounds. Mukesh Malhotra, a dog-bite victim, alleged that despite submitting an application, he was never contacted. Dr Mukta Kumar, the chief medical officer at Civil Hospital, Sector 6, said staff had recently been trained to properly record injury details and written instructions had been issued. Even the city's medical hubs are not immune; Dr Kumar confirmed that aggressive dogs roam the Civil Hospital and the Mother and Child Care building. Despite the Supreme Court's November 2025 directive to clear public institutions of strays, the MC has failed to act. "We have written to the MC and the deputy commissioner repeatedly," Dr Kumar said. "The dogs remain inside the hospital premises." The MC has yet to implement the Supreme Court's August 2025 order to establish ward-level feeding zones. While resident welfare associations, such as the one in Sector 2, submitted proposals for specific points months ago, officials claim poor response from stakeholders has stalled the process. Chief sanitary inspector (CSI) Anil Nain said suggestions were sought, but the response remained poor. Capt Subhash Chandra, the president of the Residents Welfare Society, Sector 2, said he submitted a proposal for feeding points in December, but no action was taken. "There are nearly 150 stray dogs in our sector... Even catching teams rarely visit," he alleged. The stray cattle issue is also becoming increasingly alarming. Residents allege many villagers leave cattle unattended at night, increasing the risk of accidents in Sectors 16, 17, 18, 20 and trans-Ghaggar areas. Naresh Mittal, trustee of a gaushala near Mansa Devi temple, said 10 to 12 cattle shelters in the district, with a capacity of 7,000 to 8,000 cows, are nearly full. Only sick or injured cattle are regularly accommodated. Despite chief minister Nayab Singh Saini directing a campaign against stray cattle last year, the problem persists. Nain admitted the MC has only three teams for catching dogs and cattle and failed to capture aggressive dogs despite floating tenders twice last year....