Mohali, Oct. 24 -- Planning a walk in your neighbourhood park? Or thinking of letting your children play outside? Or mulling a quick dash to the nearby market on foot? Think again. Because your chances of encountering a ferocious dog, or, worse still, being bitten by it are extremely high. Thenumbers say so. In the last nine months, i.e, January to September, the city has recorded a staggering 22,329 dog bite cases - anaverage of 82 cases a day. The total cases are a 44% increase over the 15,439 cases recorded during the corresponding period in 2025. The surge comes amid the suspension of the district's stray-dog sterilisation programme. The monthly figures shared by the civil hospital in Phase 6, show that the cases remained above 2,300 throughout the nine-month period. The count peaked at 2,858in July before declining (see box). The rise follows a sustained increase in dog-bite cases over the past four years. Mohali district recorded 12,436 cases between January and September 2023 and 15,629 during the same period in 2024, followed by 15,439 in 2025. The 2026 tally has surpassed the corresponding nine-month figures for all three preceding years. While the numbers are shocking, the stories on ground are even more troubling. Case in point: A 65-year-old farmer, Surmukh Singh, recently died after two pet pitbulls escaped from a farmhouse and mauled him on Mundhon Bhag Singh Road in Kurali. In another incident, a three-year-old child, Satyan Yadav, suffered serious head and facial injuries after a stray dog attacked him while he was playing outside his home in Badhmajra village. His family chased the animal away. The child required reconstructive treatment and anti-rabies care. Last year, in Phase 10, Mohali, a pet pitbull attacked five people within minutes. At Rose Villa Society in Kharar, a stray dog bit 11 people in a single day, including children and daily-wage workers. Meanwhile, the district's stray-dog sterilisation programme stopped after authorities sterilised 2,302 dogs up to October 7. The department is awaiting a fresh tender, and no new agency has been selected so far. Authorities are clueless on when it will be resumed. KK Saini, a residents welfare association president in Mohali, said residents had repeatedly raised concerns about stray dogs with the authorities. "The cases are alarming. The concerned authorities should take immediate steps," he said. The Confederation of Resident Welfare Associations has called for civic bodies to coordinate with local non-governmental organisations and animal-welfare volunteers to strengthen sterilisation and vaccination. Its suggestions include a central helpline to report aggressive dogs, rescue teams to respond to complaints and shelters where necessary. Sushil Monga, a retired labour commissioner who has been bitten by dogs twice, said authorities should establish shelters, deploy medical teams and conduct public-awareness campaigns. "There should be a proper shelter home for dogs, teams of doctors should be there, and awareness should also be there," Monga said. Kharar executive officer said, "Sterilisation drive is underway in Kharar. We get around 10 to 15 dogs sterilised every week. We have hired a company that takes the dogs to a facility under the Zirakpur municipal corporation for sterilisation and brings them back. Since September, we have sterilised around 200 dogs." Inder Sandhu, an NGO representative said, "Sterilisation helps control the dog population and can reduce behaviours linked to mating and competition. As the population grows, encounters and conflicts between dogs can also increase, which is why implementing animal birth control measures is important." "Dogs may react aggressively in certain situations, but their behaviour is also influenced by their surroundings and how they are treated. A safe environment and proper care can help reduce stress and prevent confrontations. Pet owners should also give their dogs opportunities to socialise safely and under supervision with other dogs and people, instead of keeping them tied up all the time," he added....