Thane: Amid a rise in dog bite cases across the district, the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) has launched a special public health initiative titled “Rabies-Free Thane”, aiming to vaccinate over 25,000 stray dogs within the next month.
The initiative comes 10 days after Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde directed the Thane district administration to construct permanent dog shelters and intensify sterilisation efforts following complaints over increasing dog bite incidents.
The civic body has formed a 50 member trained task force to carry out systematic anti-rabies vaccination drives across key zones of the city. Officials said over 5,000 stray dogs will be covered in the initial phase, with operations being conducted in stages to ensure maximum coverage and adherence to animal welfare norms.
Mayor Sharmila Pimplolkar formally inaugurated the campaign at the civic headquarters earlier this week. She urged citizens to cooperate by reporting stray dog clusters and following safety guidelines.
The event was attended by Deputy Commissioner Manish Joshi, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Pavan Kadam, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Prasad Patil, Veterinary Officer Dr. Kshama Shirodkar, among other civic and animal welfare officials.
Dr. Patil said orange reflector collars will be fitted on vaccinated dogs to prevent multiple vaccinations on the same dog and improve night-time visibility for motorists. “We aim to immunize 25,000 dogs in the coming month,” he said. In addition to vaccinations, the drive will include sterilisation and awareness programmes to promote responsible pet ownership.
According to Dr Kailash Pawar, Civil Surgeon at Thane Civil Hospital, more than 67,000 anti-rabies vaccine doses were administered across 14 government hospitals between January 2025 and January 2026. Based on an average of three doses per patient, at least 22,000 people may have received treatment at government hospitals during this period. The figures exclude vaccines administered at municipal hospitals, private hospitals, or local clinics, he said.