Madurai: A suspected rabid stray dog bit 45 people as it ran from Arapalayam towards the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple on Saturday, triggering panic among residents and tourists in the crowded temple area.One of the victims, Gajendran, said the dog first tried to attack a child near a tea shop in Jaihindpuram. “I managed to rescue the child and chased the dog away, but it returned a little later and bit me on the leg,” he said. Pointing to the growing stray dog menace in the locality, he urged the corporation to take action.Following complaints, Madurai Corporation deployed dog-catching teams to capture the animal and administer the anti-rabies vaccine before shifting it to a shelter. All 45 victims were given anti-rabies vaccination at urban primary health centres or Government Rajaji Hospital.The incident comes amid a rise in reports of aggressive stray dogs in areas such as Villapuram, Anuppanadi, M K Puram and Solai Alagupuram. Madurai recorded around 19,000 dog bite and scratch cases in 2025, with 15 to 25 incidents reported every day.Assistant city health officer Abhishek said the corporation would intensify its anti-rabies vaccination drive over the next five months. Four dog-catching vehicles will vaccinate around 300 stray dogs daily. “There are about 40,000 stray dogs within the corporation limits. So far, 22,000 have been vaccinated against rabies. The vaccination drives will be conducted six days a week,” he said, adding that around 4,000 vaccine doses are currently in stock and more will be procured.The vaccination drive, conducted in collaboration with an NGO, covered areas including Narimedu, BB Kulam, Madakulam and Pasumalai on Saturday, with 268 dogs vaccinated. “We are also conducting sterilisation drives alongside the vaccination programme,” Abhishek said.
