Although Nagaland is ranked third among the States/Union Territories in India with the least reported dog bites, the state is seeing a steady rise in cases of reported dog bite, reveals a data of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.

As per the data, Nagaland reported 714 cases in 2024, an increase of 114 cases from 2023. The total cases reported in 2023 was 452, which was 148 more than 2022’s 452 cases. In January 2025 alone, the State has reported 85 cases.

The data showed that the cases of reported dog bites in the whole country is increasing. 30,52,521 cases were reported in 2023 and in 2024, the total cases grew to 37,15,713. In the month of January 2025, the cases reported stood at 4,29,664.

In 2024, Maharashtra tops the list with 4,85,345 reported dog bite cases, followed by Tamil Nadu with 4,80,427 cases.

Union Minister of State, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel, informed in the Lok Sabha on 1st April 2025 that as per Article 246(3) of the Indian Constitution, the preservation, protection, and improvement of livestock, as well as the prevention of animal diseases, veterinary training, and practice, fall under the jurisdiction of State Governments. He also said that as per Articles 243(W) and 246, local bodies are mandated to control the stray dog population and accordingly, local bodies are implementing the Animal Birth Control Programme to regulate the population of stray dogs. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) is responsible for the human health component related to dog bites and human rabies, he added.