Nashik protesters dump puppies on civic officer's table over stray dog menace
Protesters released two puppies on the Niphad Nagar Panchayat chief officer's table to highlight the stray dog menace; police have registered a case.
A demonstration against the stray dog problem in Maharashtra's Nashik district took an unusual form when a group of protesters walked into a municipal office and emptied two sacks containing puppies onto the chief officer's table.
A video of the incident, which circulated widely on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, shows Vikram Randhave, a functionary of the Shiv Sena (UBT) district youth wing, placing the two dogs on the table of Dheeraj Bhamre, chief officer of the Niphad Nagar Panchayat.
In the clip, Mr. Randhave is heard telling the official that the group had been raising the stray dog issue for the past six months without any response. Mr. Bhamre, visibly taken aback, tells him that the civic body has already floated work tenders to tackle the problem.
Mr. Randhave warns that if no action follows, the protesters will return with more dogs, and will also bring children and women who have been affected by the issue. He also draped a garland made of currency notes around the officer's table in protest against the civic administration's handling of the matter.
According to Mr. Randhave, more than 400 stray dogs move around within the Nagar Panchayat limits, and over 100 residents suffer dog-bite injuries every month. He said children, senior citizens and motorists have all been affected, and that victims are forced to undergo painful treatment after being bitten. He added that the risk to the public, particularly children, is greater during the ongoing Ganesh festival.
A group of Yuva Sena (UBT) members carrying the sacks had entered Mr. Bhamre's office, saying that repeated requests to the authorities had failed to produce any action against the stray dog menace. It was not immediately clear whether Mr. Randhave had the backing of his party for the protest.
An official at Niphad police station said a case has been registered against Mr. Randhave and others for obstructing a public servant in the discharge of official duty. Asked whether action would also follow for the manner in which the dogs were handled — packed into sacks and placed on the table — the official said a separate case has been registered on that count as well. No arrests have been made so far.