Residents in Shimla are raising alarms over rising attacks by stray dogs and monkeys, especially on children, with a group protesting outside the local deputy’s office on Monday.
The Shimla Citizens Forum organized the demonstration to push the Municipal Corporation for urgent action on the stray animal menace. Jagmohan Thakur, the forum’s president, told reporters this follows a similar protest on September 17. “Our goal is to get the authorities moving fast,” he said. He noted that Councillor Virendra Thakur plans to bring up the issue during the Summer Hill ward council meeting that afternoon.
Thakur stressed that stray dog and monkey attacks in Shimla are happening everywhere in the city, not just in one spot. “These incidents climb every month, and kids face the biggest risk,” he explained. Drawing from hospital records at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital, he pointed out 50 cat bites alone in August, with even more cases from dogs and monkeys. “We need real steps from the Municipal Corporation today. If not, we’ll rally the public and take stronger action. This affects all of Shimla, not just a few people.”
Shimla’s mayor, Surendra Chauhan, backed the protesters’ worries about the growing stray dogs problem. “We see the numbers going up, especially bites on children,” he said. The city has rolled out big vaccination and sterilization programs for stray animals, making Himachal Pradesh the first state to tackle it on such a large scale. Still, attacks keep happening. Chauhan promised to tackle it in the council session and work toward solutions everyone can support.
He also called on residents to help out. “We’ve set up special feeding zones for strays—please only feed them there,” the mayor urged. He highlighted the role of community groups in keeping things under control. “We all need to team up to protect kids and keep Shimla safe for tourists.”
The protest highlights broader fears among locals and visitors in Shimla about health dangers from stray animal attacks, which could hurt the hill station’s image as a top tourist spot. ()
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