Dog bites last month were alarming, with VMC recording 451 cases and SSG hospital 510. The VMC's anti-rabies vaccination centres were also running full.

This group of people, who prefer to remain anonymous, have for the last two years fed stray dogs at Alkapuri, Fatehgunj, Old Padra Road, Manjalpur and Sama areas of the city.

They have also vaccinated nearly 100 dogs and sterilised around 45. The group's faces are 20-year-old Kuhu Roy and Shreya Nag (22), who said they pick up stray dogs every day and treat them in the outskirts of the city at Sindhrot.

Apart from them, other members did not wish to be identified. One of them said, "We are not into publicity. We would just like all to know that the dogs we have sterilised bear a triangle mark on their legs."

Roy added, "We have tied up with vets in Anand who visit our farm in Sindhrot regularly. Every facility is available for stray dogs there." Gradually, the group intends to divide the city into zones where they can identify and treat diseased stray dogs. They have also named the dogs they treated, group members said.

One joked: “They are all over the city and stand in attention whenever they see us.”

Shreya Nag said, "Canine maladies are on the rise. Their population have increased such that dogs who are very ill are not picked up often by the civic authorities. This can be of danger to? humans too."