Two tragic deaths of pet dog owners due to rabies have triggered serious concern over public health and pet safety in the city. In response, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) is preparing a proposal to make anti-rabies vaccination mandatory for pet dog owners and is also considering compulsory registration of pet cats.
Senior AMC officials said the proposal is likely to be placed before the Standing Committee within the next two weeks. “People are keeping not only dogs but also cats of various breeds as pets, and cats too can carry rabies. In view of recent fatalities linked to pet dogs, we are drafting a proposal to mandate anti-rabies vaccination for pet dogs and to register pet cats,” a senior official said.
The renewed focus on rabies prevention follows the death of a woman associated with a prominent school in Gandhinagar, who was bitten while playing with a dog owned by a school staff member. As she herself had a pet dog, the bite was considered routine and no vaccination was taken, which later proved fatal. Earlier, in September 2025, police inspector Vanraj Manjariya, posted at the Ahmedabad city police control room, died after developing a severe infection following a scratch from his own pet dog.
Adding to the concern are three recent incidents in which pet dogs attacked people in different parts of the city.
Meanwhile, AMC has extended the deadline for pet dog registration, though owners will now have to pay a registration fee of Rs 2,000.
So far, 16,726 pet owners have registered 19,029 dogs with the civic body. The West Zone tops the list with 4,808 registered dogs, most commonly German Shepherds, Labradors and Siberian Huskies, followed by the North-West Zone with 3,905 registered dogs, including Pomeranians, German Shepherds, Labradors and Golden Retrievers.
Health experts and civic officials have stressed that rabies is completely preventable but invariably fatal once symptoms appear, and even minor bites or scratches should never be ignored. With the proposed measures, AMC aims to promote responsible pet ownership and strengthen safeguards for both pet owners and the wider public.