Shillong: Pet owners in Shillong’s Laban and surrounding areas, could face fines, penalties and even FIRs for violations of prescribed norms, as the district administration launches a pilot programme in Laban to tackle rising dog-bite cases and work towards the elimination of human deaths from dog-mediated rabies by 2030.
Under the order issued as part of the district’s rabies elimination programme, Dorbar Shnongs have been empowered to take action against violators, including pet owners. The order states that in case of violations, the Dorbar Shnong may file an FIR and impose fines or penalties in accordance with its mandated norms.
The administration has also directed that in cases of dog bites caused by pet dogs, information should be immediately sent to the nearest police station to facilitate case registration and action under Section 125 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), where applicable.
The measures form part of the district’s implementation of the National Action Plan for Rabies Elimination (NAPRE), which targets zero human deaths from dog-mediated rabies by 2030.
Deputy Commissioner Abhilash Baranwal said the decision to empower Dorbar Shnongs followed consultations with community leaders, who had sought greater authority to enforce discipline within their localities.
He said the problem was not limited to stray dogs, pointing to data showing that pet dogs accounted for 81 per cent of reported dog-bite cases in 2026, while stray dogs accounted for 19 per cent.
Under the new framework, pet owners will be required to register their dogs with their respective Dorbar Shnong and maintain vaccination records. Community leaders will monitor compliance and facilitate vaccination drives in coordination with the veterinary department.
Owners of potentially dangerous breeds, including Pitbulls, Rottweilers, German Shepherds and Dobermans, have also been asked to ensure that their dogs are properly muzzled when taken outside their residences. Warning signboards are to be displayed where required, and owners will be responsible for ensuring their pets do not endanger pedestrians, tenants or other members of the public.
The administration has raised concern over the sharp increase in dog-bite cases across East Khasi Hills.
The district recorded 10,460 cases in 2025, the highest figure in the period presented, while 7,447 cases had been reported up to August 2026.
The majority of cases continue to originate in urban areas, although the rural share has been increasing. Urban areas accounted for 81 per cent of cases in 2023, declining to 65 per cent in 2026, while the rural share increased from 19 per cent to 35 per cent over the same period.
The proportion involving pet dogs has also increased—from 67 per cent in 2024 to 80 per cent in 2025 and 81 per cent in 2026.
Baranwal said the reported figures could still underestimate the actual scale of the problem because some dog-bite incidents go unreported.
The administration has chosen Laban as the pilot area before expanding the programme to other parts of Shillong and eventually the wider district.
The pilot will include vaccination and sterilisation of stray dogs, along with registration and vaccination of pet dogs.
Officials said stray dogs in the selected localities have already been enumerated, and vaccination began on the day of the programme. Seven stray dogs were vaccinated during an early-morning exercise conducted in coordination with the District Veterinary Office.
The administration plans to complete the initial vaccination and sterilisation activities within a defined timeframe and use the experience gained from the pilot to expand the programme.
District Veterinary Officer Dr Nina stressed that rabies is a highly fatal zoonotic disease affecting both humans and animals.
She urged pet owners to recognise that keeping an animal comes with responsibilities, including proper vaccination, deworming, healthcare and ensuring that pets do not become a danger or nuisance to others.
The veterinary department will provide free vaccination for animals, with local communities expected to coordinate dates and venues for vaccination drives.
Pet vaccination records will also be maintained and shared with the respective Dorbar Shnong, enabling community leaders to monitor whether dogs in their localities have been vaccinated.
The health department has been tasked with ensuring the availability of Anti-Rabies Vaccine (ARV) and Rabies Immunoglobulin (RIG) at designated health facilities, strengthening surveillance and ensuring timely treatment of animal-bite victims.
Officials will also monitor suspected and confirmed human rabies cases, rabies-related deaths and animal-bite incidents.
Victims will be required to receive prompt post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), while awareness campaigns will stress immediate wound washing, completion of the prescribed PEP schedule and early reporting of animal bites.
The police, meanwhile, will assist in responding to incidents involving dangerous animals, maintaining public order during mass vaccination and sterilisation operations, and taking appropriate legal action where required.
Baranwal said the empowerment of Dorbar Shnongs was intended to make community institutions the primary responders and enforcement agencies at the local level.
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The 11-point responsibilities assigned to the Dorbar Shnongs also cover identifying stray-dog hotspots, regulating indiscriminate feeding, promoting proper waste disposal, creating public awareness, monitoring aggressive dogs and repeated bite incidents, and supporting arrangements for dog shelters.
The district administration hopes to implement the key components of the Laban pilot within two months, before using the lessons from the exercise to extend the programme across Shillong and eventually East Khasi Hills.
With fines, penalties and possible FIRs for violations, alongside vaccination, sterilisation and greater accountability for pet owners, the administration is seeking to make rabies elimination a shared responsibility between government agencies and local communities.
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