Nashik stray dog menace: Protesters release puppies on civic official's table

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In this screengrab from a video posted on September 17, 2026, a Yuva Sena (UBT) worker releases a stray dog on the table of the chief officer of the Niphad Nagar Panchayat, Dheeraj Bhamre, to highlight the stray dog menace in the area, in Maharashtra’s Nashik district. | Photo Credit: PTI

A protest over the growing stray-dog menace in Maharashtra’s Nashik district took an unusual turn when the protesters brought two puppies into a municipal office and released them on the chief officer’s table.

A viral video of the incident on Wednesday (September 16, 2026) shows Shiv Sena (UBT) district youth wing functionary Vikram Randhave pulling out the dogs from two sacks and placing them on the table Dheeraj Bhamre, chief officer of the Niphad Nagar Panchayat.

“We have been trying to highlight the stray dog menace to you since the last six months, but you ignored our pleas,” Mr. Randhave is seen telling the stunned official, who informs him that the civic body has already issued work tenders to deal with the stray dog menace.

“If you fail to act, we will bring more dogs to your office next time. We will also bring children and women affected by the problem,” Mr. Randhave said, announcing the sequel to this “who let the dogs out” drama.

Mr. Randhave also placed a garland made of currency notes around the chief officer’s table to protest the civic administration’s handling of the issue.

He claimed that more than 400 stray dogs roam the Nagar Panchayat limits and that over 100 residents suffer dog-bite injuries every month.

The stray dog menace has affected children, senior citizens and motorists, he said, adding that victims have to undergo painful treatment after being bitten.

It was not clear if Mr. Randhave had his party’s backing behind the protest.

Carrying two sacks, a group of Yuva Sena (UBT) members barged into the office of Bhamre. They said that despite repeated requests, the authorities have not taken any action to control the stray dog menace.

Dogs have bitten several citizens and pose an even greater risk to the public, especially children, during the ongoing Ganesh festival, Mr. Randhave said.

An official at Niphad police station told PTI that a case has been registered against Mr. Randhave and others for obstructing the public servant in the discharge of his official duty.

Asked if any action would be taken against Mr. Randhave over the way in which he handled the dogs, packing them into the sacks and dumping them on the table, the official said a case has also been registered in that regard.

No arrests have been made so far, he said.

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