THANE, May 11 -- Even as the stray dog population within the limits of the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) has reached an estimated 40,000, the civic body plans to permanently relocate only around 300 dogs in compliance with recent Supreme Court directives, raising concerns over whether the move will meaningfully improve public safety amid a sharp rise in dog bite cases across Maharashtra. The Supreme Court recently directed municipal authorities to remove stray dogs from high-risk public spaces such as hospitals, schools, courts and transport hubs, and relocate them to designated shelters instead of releasing them back into the same areas. According to data released by the State Public Health Department last week, Maharashtra recorded 499,553 dog bite cases and 19 rabies-related deaths between January and March 2026 alone. SEE BOX The fatalities were reported in Pune (9), Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (1), Chandrapur (1), Nagpur (1), Wardha (1), Mumbai (1), Thane (2), Sangli (1), Satara (1), and Raigad (1). The latest figures come after the state had already reported 1.52 million dog bite cases and 33 rabies-related deaths in 2025, compared to 1.141 million dog bite incidents in 2024. In compliance with the apex court's directions, the TMC conducted a detailed survey of sensitive public locations across its jurisdiction. The survey identified 259 stray dogs residing within premises considered vulnerable from a public safety perspective, including hospitals, schools, courts and bus depots. Dr Prasad Patil, chief health officer of TMC, said the civic body had initiated the process of capturing the identified dogs. "We have identified 300 stray dogs residing within the compound premises of hospitals, courts, schools, bus depots and similar sensitive areas. As these dogs must be removed from such locations considering risks to humans, especially children and senior citizens, we have initiated the process of capturing them," he said. The identified dogs will be housed at a new shelter being developed at Majiwada, which officials expect to be operational within a month. According to Dr Patil, the civic body will remain responsible for the dogs throughout their lifespan, including their health and overall care. The new dog shelter, currently under construction beneath the Majiwada Flyover, will have the capacity to house 350 permanently relocated dogs along with another 100 dogs under the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme. The facility will include two operation theatres, an intensive care unit and dedicated recovery rooms. Officials said locating land for such a shelter had been challenging because of concerns regarding noise and nuisance. The area beneath the flyover was selected to minimise disturbance to nearby residential localities. Under the existing ABC programme, stray dogs are captured, sterilised, vaccinated and later released back to the exact locations from where they were picked up. Officials maintained that stray dogs are highly territorial and relocating them to unfamiliar areas is generally considered impractical. At the new facility, dogs undergoing sterilisation and treatment will remain under observation during recovery. Officials said the entire process, from capture and surgery to treatment and release, can take between 10 days and one month depending on the animal's recovery condition. The civic body also acknowledged the significant financial burden involved in stray dog management. According to officials, the cost of handling a single dog, including capture, sterilisation, treatment, recovery and release, ranges between Rs.6,000 and Rs.10,000. Meanwhile, Shanu Pathan, opposition leader in TMC, questioned the effectiveness of the civic body's approach. "Out of around 40,000 stray dogs, the TMC will only permanently remove 300 dogs. That will not make any impact on the safety of the residents. Instead of creating a shelter for such a small number of stray dogs, the TMC should search for other spaces far away from residential locations," Pathan said. Medical experts attribute the rise in dog bite incidents to easy access to food through open garbage, increased territorial aggression during breeding cycles....