Statistics hub · Updated October 2026

Dog Statistics India 2026: 140+ cited facts on pet dogs, street dogs, bites, rabies, vets and the pet market

India has an estimated 3.1 to 3.7 crore pet dogs and about 1.5 crore street dogs, the last counted in 2019. Government surveillance logged about 37 lakh dog bites in 2024, and ICMR estimates 5,726 human rabies deaths a year. This hub collects 140+ dated figures, each linked to its original source.

37.2 lakh

dog bite cases reported in India in 2024 (IDSP)

3.68 crore

pet dogs in India in 2024 (Euromonitor estimate)

1.5 crore

street dogs counted in the 2019 Livestock Census

5,726

human rabies deaths a year (ICMR estimate)

81,938

registered vets in India, March 2023

By the dogeats.in Editorial Team · Published 2026-10-17 · Updated 2026-10-17 · Free to reuse with credit (CC BY 4.0)

187 statistics · 124 sources · 13 charts · 3 tables · every figure checked against its source

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How many dogs are there in India?

India has about 3.1 to 3.7 crore pet dogs by industry estimates, plus about 1.5 crore street dogs counted in 2019. No government survey counts pet dogs, so every pet figure below is an estimate from a named publisher. Our pet ownership and pet food market report compares these estimates in detail.

• 36.8 million pet dogs lived in Indian homes in 2024, according to Euromonitor estimates (GlobalPETS, The pet industry in India, citing Euromonitor, 2025).
• 42 million pets lived in Indian homes in 2024, up from 26 million in 2019 (GlobalPETS, The pet industry in India, 2025).
• 31 million pet dogs were projected for India by the end of 2023, as reported by PTI (Business Standard, Pet insurance market in India report, May 2024).
• 39.2 million pets lived in India in 2025 by Ken Research's estimate, and dogs made up about 85% of them (Ken Research, India Pet Food Market report, 2025).
• 0.10 pets per household is the Indian average, against 1.06 in the US and 0.82 in Germany (Redseer Strategy Consultants, From Kibble to Care, 2024).
• 80 million homeless dogs and cats live in India, by a 2021 Mars estimate (As reported by Business Today, Mars Pet Homelessness Index, November 2021).
• 1,53,04,345 street dogs were counted in the 2019 Livestock Census, the latest national count (DAHD, 20th Livestock Census district-wise stray dog data, 2019).
• 32 million pets is the figure GlobalPETS gives for India in its 2026 Drools interview feature (GlobalPETS, Drools interview feature, July 2026).
• 69% of Indian pet parents surveyed were first-time owners, against 47% globally (Mars Petcare and Ipsos pet parent study, via The Tribune, December 2024).

Pet dog ownership, registration and licence fees in India

Most Indian pet dogs are never registered with their city, even where a licence is compulsory. Chennai leads on licences, while Delhi and Bhopal have only a few thousand or a few hundred on record. City fees and fines are listed in our dog registration fees by city report.

• 23% of puppies in Indian homes came from pet shops, 17% from breeders and only 6% from shelters (Mars Petcare and Ipsos pet parent study, via The Tribune, December 2024).
• 73,754 pet licences had been issued by the Greater Chennai Corporation by February 2026 (As reported by National Herald, Chennai issues 73,754 pet licences, February 2026).
• 31% of Chennai's estimated 1 lakh pet owners had a licence at the first deadline (As reported by The Federal, Chennai pet licensing deadline report, 2025).
• 5,767 pet dogs were registered with the MCD in Delhi in August 2025, with 381 applications pending (As reported by The Daily Guardian, Delhi dog registration report, August 2025).
• 19,756 pet dogs were registered with the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, and Labradors led the list (IANS via Telangana Today, Ahmedabad registers nearly 20,000 pet dogs, August 2026).
• 256 dogs and 63 cats were registered in Bhopal by June 2026 (As reported by The Hitavada, Thousands of pets but just 256 dogs registered, June 2026).
• 2,317 dogs were registered in Gurugram in 2025 (As reported by Amar Ujala, Gurugram dog registration report, June 2026).
• 1,05,885 adoptions have been arranged by Blue Cross of India in Chennai since 1959 (Blue Cross of India, Adopt and foster page, 2026).
• 30 abandoned dogs a month reached the Friendicoes shelter in Delhi in 2019, while about five were adopted (As reported by Civil Society magazine, Find your dog partner, 2019).
• 217 total animal adoptions are listed in the 2019-20 annual report of CUPA, Bengaluru, which rehomes 20 to 25 dogs a month (CUPA, Annual Report 2019-20).
• Rs 1,000 a year is the pet dog licence fee in Ghaziabad (Ghaziabad Nagar Nigam, pet licence terms and conditions).
• Rs 2,000 is the new pet registration fee in Ahmedabad after a 900% hike (As reported by Gujarat Samachar, AMC hikes pet registration fee, October 2025).
• Rs 700 became the yearly pet licence renewal fee in Mumbai in 2022, up from Rs 100 (As reported by Free Press Journal, BMC pet registration portal report, May 2022).
• Rs 5,000 is the fine for keeping an unlicensed dog in Chennai (As reported by Citizen Matters, How to apply for a pet licence in Chennai, 2025).
• Rs 10,000 is the fine for abandoning a pet in Chennai (As reported by DT Next, Abandoning pets in Chennai to cost owners Rs 10,000, September 2026).

Street dog population in India by city

The 2019 Livestock Census counted about 1.5 crore street dogs, and no national count has been published since. City surveys are more recent but use different methods, so compare them with care. See our stray dogs by city report for ward and zone detail.

• 2.8 lakh stray dogs live in Bengaluru, according to the BBMP survey of 2023 (PTI via Deccan Herald, BBMP stray dog survey, October 2023).
• 10% fewer street dogs were counted in Bengaluru, from 3.1 lakh in 2019 to 2.9 lakh in 2023 (As reported by Citizen Matters, BBMP street dog census report, 2023).
• 1.81 lakh stray dogs were counted in Chennai in the 2024 survey, with Ambattur zone highest at 23,980 (As reported by DT Next, Chennai stray dog survey, 2024).
• 3,79,156 dogs live within GHMC limits in Hyderabad, the corporation told the Telangana High Court in 2024 (As reported by Deccan Chronicle, GHMC dog bite report, July 2024).
• 4.70 lakh stray dogs live in Hyderabad's core urban region, by official estimates (As reported by The Hans India, GHMC report, May 2026).
• 9 lakh stray dogs are on Kerala's streets by an official estimate, as reported by Onmanorama (Onmanorama, 9 lakh stray dogs on Kerala streets, November 2025).
• 10,761 stray dogs live in Kollam Corporation, one for every 37 residents, by a 2026 survey (As reported by Onmanorama, Kollam Corporation stray dog survey, September 2026).
• 55,462 stray dogs were counted in Delhi in the 2019 Livestock Census, a figure many groups dispute (DAHD, 20th Livestock Census district-wise stray dog data, 2019).
• Over 3,000 dogs in Bengaluru need shelter under the Supreme Court directive, but the GBA can house about 1,000 (As reported by Deccan Herald, Bengaluru stray numbers triple, December 2025).

How many dog bite cases are there in India?

Government surveillance logged about 37 lakh dog bites in 2024, up from 30.4 lakh in 2023 and the highest since 2020. An ICMR household survey suggests the true number of animal bites is far higher, at 91 lakh a year. Year by year and state data are in our dog bite and rabies statistics report.

• 37,17,336 dog bite cases were reported in 2024 in a later Lok Sabha reply (As reported by IANS, Lok Sabha reply, July 2025).
• 30,43,339 dog bites were recorded in 2023 on the IDSP-IHIP platform (PIB, Lok Sabha reply on scientific management of stray dogs, August 2024).
• 72,77,523 dog bites were recorded in 2019, the highest of the five years reported to Parliament (PIB, Lok Sabha reply, August 2024).
• 21,95,122 dog bites and 37 deaths were recorded in rural India in 2024 (PIB, Lok Sabha reply on menace of stray animals, February 2025).
• 47 lakh dog bites happen a year, out of 58 lakh animal bites, the Health Minister said (As reported by ETV Bharat, Rajya Sabha reply, March 2026).
• 9.1 million animal bites a year happen in India, by an ICMR household survey of 3,37,808 people (Thangaraj et al., The Lancet Infectious Diseases, 2025 (PubMed)).
• 61% of dog bites in the ICMR study came from stray dogs and 39% from pets (As reported by The South First on the ICMR rabies study, October 2024).
• 1.54 lakh dog bite cases were recorded in Mumbai in 2025 (As reported by Free Press Journal, Mumbai records 1.54 lakh dog bite cases, August 2026).
• 24,803 dog bite cases were recorded in Pune in the first seven months of 2026 (As reported by Free Press Journal, Pune records 24,803 dog bite cases, August 2026).
• 18,140 dog bite cases were reported in Bengaluru in January to May 2026, up 55% from 11,647 a year earlier (As reported by Deccan Herald, Bengaluru dog bites, June 2026).
• 3.69 lakh people were bitten by stray dogs in Kerala in 2025 (As reported by Kerala Kaumudi, Stray dogs making life in Kerala unbearable, February 2026).
• 4.6 lakh people were bitten by dogs in Tamil Nadu in January to July 2026 (As reported by DT Next, Tamil Nadu dog bites, July 2026).
• 4,85,345 dog bites were reported in Maharashtra in 2024, the most of any state, ahead of Tamil Nadu at 4,80,427 (DAHD, Lok Sabha unstarred question 4870, April 2025).

Rabies deaths and anti-rabies vaccine access in India

Official surveillance reports a few dozen to a few hundred rabies deaths a year, but the ICMR model puts the real toll at about 5,726. The gap comes from missed and unreported deaths. Facility stock levels are mapped in our rabies vaccine access report.

• 5,726 human rabies deaths a year occur in India, by the ICMR national estimate (Thangaraj et al., The Lancet Infectious Diseases, 2025 (PubMed)).
• 20.5% of dog bite victims got no anti-rabies vaccine, and 49.1% of starters skipped doses (Thangaraj et al., The Lancet Infectious Diseases, 2025 (PubMed)).
• 54 suspected human rabies deaths were reported under IDSP in 2024, against 50 in 2023 (DAHD, Lok Sabha unstarred question 4870, April 2025).
• 286 people died after dog bites in 2023, the government told Parliament, as reported by PTI (Business Standard, Lok Sabha reply on dog bites, July 2024).
• 46,54,398 anti-rabies shots were given for dog bites in 2023 (As reported by Business Standard, Lok Sabha reply on dog bites, July 2024).
• 79.7% of public health facilities surveyed had anti-rabies vaccine in stock (Krishna et al., The Lancet Regional Health Southeast Asia, 2025 (PubMed)).
• 20.3% of public health facilities had rabies immunoglobulin, the serum needed for severe bites (Krishna et al., The Lancet Regional Health Southeast Asia, 2025 (PubMed)).
• 74.8% of suspected rabid dogs tested in the ICMR study were positive for rabies (As reported by The South First on the ICMR rabies study, October 2024).
• 8.17 crore vials of anti-rabies vaccine and 1.77 crore vials of immunoglobulin can be made in India each year (As reported by ETV Bharat, Rajya Sabha reply, March 2026).
• 284 model anti-rabies clinics have been set up under the national rabies programme (As reported by Daily Excelsior, Lok Sabha reply on anti-rabies vaccine, July 2026).
• 146 people died of rabies in Kerala between 2016 and September 2025, by state data (As reported by Onmanorama, Kerala rabies vaccine expense report, September 2025).
• Up to 99% of human rabies cases in endemic regions are caused by dogs, the WHO said in 2018 (WHO, Rabies vaccines position paper, April 2018).
• 92% fewer canine rabies cases a month were recorded in Goa after a 2013 to 2019 drive that reached 70% vaccination coverage (Gibson et al., Nature Communications, 2022 (PubMed)).
• 15 of 57 stray dog samples from Thiruvananthapuram city tested positive for rabies in 2024 (As reported by Kerala Kaumudi, Stray dog samples test positive, September 2024).

Street dog sterilisation and vaccination in India

The Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023 rely on sterilising and vaccinating street dogs, and the Centre wants states to cover at least 70% of them. Only a few cities report coverage near that level. Our ABC sterilisation coverage report tracks each city.

• 101.54 lakh anti-rabies doses were given to dogs in three years, by state reports to the Centre (PIB, Lok Sabha reply on stray dogs, August 2024).
• 70% of stray dogs is the minimum sterilisation coverage the Centre asked states to reach (PIB, Lok Sabha reply on menace of stray dogs, August 2025).
• Rs 1,423.41 lakh was released in 2024-25 for over 80 lakh anti-rabies doses under the ASCAD scheme (IANS, Lok Sabha reply on stray dog control, July 2025).
• 71.85% of Bengaluru street dogs were neutered in 2023, up from 51.16% in 2019 (PTI via Deccan Herald, BBMP stray dog survey, October 2023).
• 3,03,200 of the 3,79,156 dogs in GHMC limits had been sterilised by July 2024 (As reported by Deccan Chronicle, GHMC dog bite report, July 2024).
• 84% of Lucknow's street dogs are sterilised and vaccinated, by a 2025 survey (Humane World for Animals, Lucknow street dog survey release, March 2025).
• 4.8 lakh stray dogs were sterilised by the MCD in Delhi in six years (As reported by The Tribune, 4.8 lakh strays sterilised in past six years, August 2025).
• 45,000 stray dogs a year is the BMC sterilisation target, backed by Rs 23 crore (As reported by Free Press Journal, BMC plans sterilisation of 45,000 stray dogs, April 2026).
• Over 61,000 dogs were vaccinated against rabies by the Mission Rabies Goa team in 2024 (Mission Rabies, Goa programme page, 2025).
• Rs 2.96 crore over three years is the cost of Goa's new rabies control scheme approved in 2026 (As reported by The Goan, Goa rabies scheme, June 2026).
• Over 80% of street dogs in Hyderabad have been sterilised, GHMC said in 2024 (As reported by Siasat Daily, GHMC sterilizes over 80 percent street dogs, May 2024).

Dog breeds, Kennel Club registrations and working dogs in India

Kennel Club of India puppy registrations peaked during the 2021 lockdown boom and have fallen every year since. The police and armed forces keep thousands of working dogs, and many are now Indian breeds. Year-wise detail is in our Kennel Club of India registrations report.

• 32,219 puppies were registered with the Kennel Club of India in 2025, down from 88,261 in 2021 (FCI, Statistics: Kennel Club of India, 2014 to 2025).
• 7,412 litters were registered with the Kennel Club of India in 2025 (FCI, Statistics: Kennel Club of India, 2014 to 2025).
• Rs 2,500 is the Kennel Club of India fee to register an imported dog, from April 2024 (Kennel Club of India, revised tariff sheet, April 2024).
• Nearly 4,000 dogs served in 2023 with the central armed police forces, which take on about 300 pups a year (As reported by The Tribune, CAPF dogs, October 2023).
• 416 trained dogs serve with the Railway Protection Force across railway zones (Ministry of Home Affairs, Police K9 Cell newsletter, February 2025).
• 9 dog breeders and 86 pet shops were registered in Telangana, by an RTI reply cited in 2023 (As reported by LiveLaw, Telangana pet shop PIL, October 2023).
• 1,344 animals of 16 species were rescued in raids on Bengaluru pet shops in January 2023 (As reported by Deccan Herald, KAWB raids on pet shops, January 2023).
• 126 all-breed championship shows were held under the Kennel Club of India in 2025 (FCI, Statistics by year, 2025).
• Around 1,500 dogs served in 2023 with the CRPF, the most of any central force, and about 700 with the CISF (As reported by The Tribune, CAPF dogs, October 2023).
• Rs 71,000 was the CAPF price, under a 2023 MHA order, of a nine-month-old pup trained in basic obedience (MHA, SOP on sale of pups, March 2023).
• 70% of the normal ration is fed, under a 2021 MHA policy, to retired CAPF dogs for the rest of their lives (MHA, policy on CAPF animals, 2021).

How big is the pet food and pet care market in India?

Estimates of the Indian pet food market range from under USD 1 billion to USD 2.5 billion, depending on the research firm. Each figure below is labelled with its publisher because none is an official statistic. Company accounts and funding rounds are in our pet industry revenue and funding report.

• USD 3.5 billion is the value of the Indian pet care market, by Redseer (Redseer Strategy Consultants, From Kibble to Care, 2024).
• USD 7 to 7.5 billion is the size Redseer projects for Indian pet care by FY28 (Redseer Strategy Consultants, From Kibble to Care, 2024).
• USD 0.87 billion was the Indian pet food market in 2025, by Mordor Intelligence (Mordor Intelligence, India Pet Food Market report, 2026).
• USD 2.52 billion was the Indian pet food market in 2025, by IMARC Group, nearly three times the Mordor figure (IMARC Group, India Pet Food Market report, 2026).
• USD 872.16 million was the Indian pet food market in 2023, by Credence Research (Credence Research, India Pet Food Market report).
• 7 to 8% is the packaged pet food penetration in India, as stated by GlobalPETS in 2026 (GlobalPETS, Drools interview feature, July 2026).
• 40% of the Indian pet food market is held by Drools, as stated by GlobalPETS (GlobalPETS, Drools interview feature, July 2026).
• Rs 4,000 crore was the size of the Indian pet food market in 2022, growing 30 to 35% a year (As reported by afaqs, pet food market, May 2022).
• Rs 100 crore in revenue was crossed by pet care startup Supertails in FY25, with losses up 28% (As reported by Entrackr, Supertails FY25 financials, March 2026).
• Rs 63 crore in revenue and a Rs 66 crore loss were reported by vet clinic chain Vetic for FY25 (As reported by Entrackr, Vetic FY25 financials, March 2026).
• Rs 1.79 crore was the FY24 loss of Mars International India, as reported by PTI (Business Standard, Mars International India FY24 results, November 2024).
• USD 60 million was raised by Drools from L Catterton in 2023 (As reported by Entrepreneur India, Drools raises $60 million, June 2023).
• USD 30 million was raised by Supertails in February 2026 to open pet clinics (As reported by Inc42, Supertails bags $30 Mn, February 2026).
• USD 40 million was raised by Vetic in a round led by Bessemer in June 2026 (As reported by Entrackr, Vetic raises $40 Mn, June 2026).
• USD 8 million was raised by treat maker Dogsee Chew in its Series B in February 2025 (As reported by Entrackr, Dogsee Chew raises $8 Mn, February 2025).

How many vets are there in India?

India had about 82,000 to 83,000 registered vets in 2023, and state vet posts often lie vacant. Rajasthan had 1,367 of 3,691 sanctioned posts empty in January 2023. Per-state ratios are in our vets per lakh population report.

• 81,938 veterinarians were on the Indian Veterinary Practitioners Register on 31 March 2023 (DAHD, Lok Sabha unstarred question 3136, August 2023).
• 73,129 vets were registered in India as on 31 March 2020, with Maharashtra highest at 9,971 (Pashu Sandesh, citing the IVPR, August 2022).
• 67,784 registered vets were on the national register in 2015, against an estimated need of 67,200 (PIB, 67,784 registered veterinary practitioners, July 2016).
• 32 vets per million people was the working figure for India in a 2015 WOAH review (Rao et al., WOAH Scientific and Technical Review, 2015).
• 1,367 of 3,691 sanctioned vet posts in Rajasthan were vacant in January 2023, the highest vacancy count of any state (DAHD, Lok Sabha unstarred question 4570, March 2023).
• 83,017 registered vets are listed in the Indian Veterinary Practitioners Register 2023 (DAHD, Lok Sabha unstarred question 535, February 2024).
• 70 veterinary colleges existed in India in 2023, of which 57 were recognised (DAHD, Lok Sabha unstarred question 3018, August 2023).
• Rs 56,100 is the starting pay of a Delhi government veterinary officer at Level 10, plus NPA (Delhi Development Department, veterinary officer appointment order, 2026).
• Rs 2,010 crore is the 2026-27 budget for the Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme (Union Budget 2026-27, Expenditure Budget, Demand No. 44).

Dog laws, breed bans and dog bite compensation in India

The Centre's 2024 list of 23 'ferocious' breeds was quashed in court, but districts and cantonments keep issuing their own bans. Courts have also set minimum dog bite compensation. Every ban and its status is in our banned dog breeds tracker.

• Rs 10 to Rs 50 is the first-offence fine for cruelty under the 1960 PCA Act (PCA Act, 1960, Section 11).
• 5 years is the maximum jail term for killing or maiming an animal under Section 325 of the BNS (Ministry of Home Affairs, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023).
• Rs 50,000 fine plus community service is the penalty under the Goa dog law of 2025 (PRS Legislative Research, Goa Act 21 of 2025).
• 5,000 dogs was the initial shelter capacity the Supreme Court ordered for Delhi-NCR on 11 August 2025 (Supreme Court of India, order of 11 August 2025).
• Rs 25,000 is the deposit the Supreme Court set for individual dog lovers seeking to intervene in August 2025 (Supreme Court of India, order of 22 August 2025).
• Rs 10,000 per tooth mark is the minimum dog bite payout set by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2023 (Punjab and Haryana High Court judgment, August 2023).
• 495 dog bite compensation claims reached the Chandigarh panel, which settled 184 in just over a year (As reported by The Tribune, Chandigarh dog bite claims panel report, August 2025).
• Rs 5 lakh is the relief Karnataka pays for a death linked to a stray dog attack (As reported by The News Minute, Karnataka relief, November 2025).
• 5,700 compensation applications reached the Siri Jagan Committee in Kerala by June 2023, and 818 were examined (As reported by Onmanorama, Siri Jagan Committee report, June 2023).
• 23 breeds were named in the Centre's 2024 circular on 'ferocious' dogs, which the Karnataka High Court quashed (As reported by LiveLaw, Karnataka High Court quashes breed circular, April 2024).
• 22 breeds were banned in Faridkot, Punjab, in April 2024 (As reported by The Tribune, Ban on 22 breeds of dog in Faridkot, April 2024).
• 11 foreign breeds were ordered off Gurugram homes by a consumer forum in 2022 (As reported by The Quint, Gurugram consumer forum bans 11 foreign dog breeds, 2022).
• 5 breeds were barred by the Army in a Delhi Cantonment area in 2022 (As reported by The Tribune, Delhi Cantt breed ban, February 2022).

Heatwaves, air pollution and noise: the climate Indian dogs live in

Indian summers now bring hundreds of heatwave days, and Delhi has had almost no days of good air in a decade. Dogs feel both, and firecracker noise adds a third stress in festival season.

• 554 heatwave days were recorded across India in 2024, up from 230 in 2023 (As reported by Down To Earth, on the Rajya Sabha reply of 5 December 2024).
• 536 heatwave days were logged in the summer of 2024, the highest since 2010, said the IMD (As reported by Scroll, India logged 536 heatwave days this summer, 2024).
• 50.5 C was recorded at Churu in Rajasthan on 28 May 2024 (India Meteorological Department, press release, 29 May 2024).
• 22 heatwave days on average hit Punjab and Uttarakhand in the summer of 2024, the most of any state (MoSPI, EnviStats India 2025, Component 4).
• 0 days of 'good' air were recorded in Delhi in 2025, and 79 days were 'satisfactory' (CPCB, Air quality in Delhi-NCR, 31 December 2025).
• 8 days of severe air (AQI 401 or more) were recorded in Delhi in 2025, down from 17 in 2024 (CPCB, Delhi AQI category days 2016 to 2025, December 2025).
• Almost half of dog owners interviewed by Bristol researchers said their dog feared noises such as fireworks (2013) (University of Bristol study release, 2013).
• 45,000 Hz is the upper limit of dog hearing, against about 23,000 Hz for people (LSU School of Veterinary Medicine, dog hearing range).

Common dog diseases in India: parvovirus, distemper and tick fever

Parvovirus and tick-borne blood parasites are the infections Indian vet studies find most often. Rates come from hospital cases and field samples, so they describe sick or sampled dogs, not all dogs. Seasons and symptoms are in our parvo and tick fever report.

• 69.75% of 6,105 suspected cases at Madras Veterinary College were confirmed as parvovirus enteritis over eight years (Naveenkumar et al., Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 2025 (PubMed)).
• 1,185 of 1,447 suspected distemper cases in Chennai were clinically confirmed, a rate of 81.89% (Naveenkumar et al., International Journal of Biometeorology, 2025 (PubMed)).
• 76.54% of dogs tested in a West Bengal study carried Babesia gibsoni, a tick-borne blood parasite (Veterinary Parasitology Regional Studies and Reports, 2026 (PubMed)).
• 64.8% of dogs with gastroenteritis in a PVNRTVU Hyderabad study carried canine parvovirus (Dema et al., Archives of Virology, 2023 (PubMed)).
• 50.99% of 202 dog samples from Mizoram tested positive for canine parvovirus (Iranian Journal of Veterinary Research, 2024 (PubMed)).
• 24.10% of dogs with a parvo vaccination history still tested positive in a 2021 Ludhiana study (Singh et al., Veterinary World, 2021 (PubMed)).
• 42.2 to 60.0% of pet and community dogs sampled in Kerala carried Babesia gibsoni (Veterinary Parasitology Regional Studies and Reports, 2024 (PubMed)).
• 52% of 130 dogs sampled in Mizoram and Tripura carried, in a 2019 study, at least one vector-borne pathogen (Sarma et al., Parasites and Vectors, 2019 (PubMed)).
• 27.78% of 216 dogs tested in Hisar had babesiosis by PCR, against 12.5% by microscopy (Kumari et al., BMC Veterinary Research, 2026 (PubMed)).

Pet insurance for dogs in India: premiums and market size

Dog insurance in India starts at a few hundred rupees a year, with sums insured from Rs 10,000 to Rs 2 lakh. Market size estimates differ by a factor of two. Policy terms are compared in our pet insurance India report.

• Rs 169 a year is the starting pet insurance premium listed by Bajaj General (Bajaj General Insurance, pet insurance page, 2026).
• Rs 200 a year is the starting price of the HDFC ERGO pet policy (HDFC ERGO, pet insurance page, 2026).
• Rs 25,000 is the sum insured on the New India Assurance dog policy, for dogs aged 8 weeks to 8 years (New India Assurance, insurance for dogs page).
• Rs 10,000 to Rs 2 lakh is the sum insured range on the Universal Sompo Pet Assure policy (Universal Sompo, Pet Assure policy prospectus).
• 7 years is the entry age limit for giant breeds on the Generali Central dog cover, against 10 years for others (Generali Central, Dog Health Cover page, 2026).
• 3 to 5% of the sum insured is the basic premium on public sector dog insurance schemes (As reported by Outlook Money, Keep your furry friends safe, March 2025).
• USD 331.1 million was the Indian pet insurance market in 2025, by IMARC Group (IMARC Group, India Pet Insurance Market report, 2026).
• USD 695.8 million was the Indian pet insurance market in 2024, by Grand View Research, about twice the IMARC figure for 2025 (Grand View Research, India pet insurance outlook).
• Rs 315 was the starting premium when Bajaj Allianz launched dog insurance in 2020 (As reported by The News Minute, Bajaj Allianz launches pet insurance for dogs, August 2020).
• Rs 6,500 crore is the size one industry estimate gave the Indian pet insurance market by 2025, as reported by PTI (Business Standard, Pet insurance market report, May 2024).

Frequently asked questions

Methodology and limitations

Every figure on this page comes from a page or document we opened while compiling the hub between 16 and 17 October 2026. Each bullet links its source and states the year of the data. Figures older than three years carry the year in the bullet.

We used primary sources first: Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha replies, PIB releases, DAHD, CPCB, IMD, MoSPI and court orders, peer-reviewed papers through PubMed, and company or insurer documents. Press reports appear only where the figure exists nowhere else, such as city surveys, and are labelled with the outlet.

Some government servers (dahd.gov.in and api.sci.gov.in) did not respond from our location during the fact-check of 17 October 2026. For those files, including DAHD replies, the 2019 census file and Supreme Court orders, we checked the Internet Archive copy and cite the original URL.

We rejected any figure we could not find on the page, any page that failed to load, and any number traced only to a blog or roundup. Market size figures are estimates from private research firms and are labelled with the firm. A research log with a proof quote for each figure is kept for audit.

Charts use the numbers in their section. The Hyderabad sterilisation share (80.0%) is computed by dogeats.in from GHMC counts of 3,03,200 sterilised of 3,79,156 dogs. We update this page monthly.

Sources

1. DAHD (IDSP), Lok Sabha unstarred question 4870, dog bites (2024)
2. ICMR-NIE (Lancet Infectious Diseases), Thangaraj et al. 2025, million animal bites a year (2022-2023)
3. PIB, Lok Sabha reply, August 2024, dog bites (2023)
4. 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