KHANDWA, Madhya Pradesh — A video shared widely on social media Tuesday shows a man dressed head-to-toe in a dog costume walking into a public grievance hearing at the Khandwa Collectorate, joining the municipal opposition leader in protest over the city’s growing stray dog problem.
The footage spread fast, and it’s easy to see why. But behind the viral clip sits a serious complaint: opposition leaders allege the civic body has spent roughly ₹40 lakh over four years on dog sterilisation with little to show for it, even as bite cases keep climbing across the city.
In the video, the costumed man walks calmly through the Collectorate alongside Khandwa Municipal Corporation Leader of Opposition Deepak Rathore, drawing stares, phone cameras, and a growing crowd as word of the unusual scene spread through the building. He did not speak on camera. Rathore did the talking, submitting a formal memorandum to the Collector that questions the tendering process behind the sterilisation program, the eligibility of the company hired to carry it out, and whether proper documentation exists for the work claimed.
“If government funds are misused in the name of sterilisation, the entire matter should be investigated impartially and action should be taken against the culprits,” Rathore told PTI.
Rathore called the costumed demonstrator “our Doggy brother” in comments to reporters after the video began circulating, saying the man had traveled from Delhi specifically to help expose what Rathore described as corruption in the sterilisation drive. He said the corporation had billed roughly ₹40 lakh for the program despite the stray population continuing to grow year over year.
#WATCH | Unusual Protest Over Stray Dog Menace in Madhya Pradesh
In Khandwa, a man arrived at the Collectorate’s public grievance hearing dressed in a dog costume to highlight the growing stray dog problem. Accompanied by Municipal Corporation LoP Deepak Rathore, he raised… pic.twitter.com/yljcbnjMC5
— Greater Kashmir (@GreaterKashmir) August 19, 2026
Additional Collector Kashiram Badole confirmed to reporters that people wearing dog masks had shown up at the hearing and formally submitted applications alleging misappropriation of sterilisation funds — matching what’s visible in the widely shared clip.
Rathore’s memorandum went further than the footage shows. He called for a review of records showing the actual number of dogs sterilised, verification of identification and payment documents, and physical on-site checks to confirm the work was actually done. He said that if the investigation turns up an ineligible company or other rule violations, an FIR should be filed and legal action taken against those responsible.
The complaint also cited public safety numbers. Rathore’s camp claims Khandwa has recorded 13,225 dog-bite cases over the past four years, a figure he says shows the sterilisation program has failed to control the population despite the money spent.
The video adds to a wider pattern playing out across India this year. Just days earlier, former Union Minister Vijay Goel led a large demonstration at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar over the same issue, claiming that stray dogs bite roughly 20,000 people nationwide every single day. Similar complaints have surfaced in Chandigarh, Bathinda and other cities, as municipal bodies face growing pressure over sterilisation programs that residents say aren’t keeping pace with the problem.
Khandwa officials have not yet announced whether a formal investigation into the sterilisation contract will move forward. Rathore said he expects the Collector’s office to respond to the memorandum in the coming days.
