Even as Punjab grapples with a sharp rise in dog bite cases, hundreds of dog lovers gathered at the Polo Ground in Patiala on Sunday for the annual All Breed Championship Dog Shows.Dog lovers from over 10 states took part in the event, held under the aegis of the Patiala Kennel Club.The show was held against the backdrop of growing concern over stray dog attacks in Patiala and adjoining villages. Health Department data reveals that dog bite cases in the district rose from 13,000 in 2022 to an estimated 16,000 in 2023. In 2024, Punjab recorded 2,13,521 dog bite cases, an increase of more than 11,000 cases compared to 2023. Ludhiana was the worst-affected city, followed by Patiala and SAS Nagar.Despite the surge in cases, animal birth control programmes are currently being implemented only within the Municipal Corporation limits, with no such initiatives in rural areas.Residents in several villages say the stray dog population has grown at an alarming rate.“We have stopped sending our children out of the house. Villages have decided to send two elders as escorts with children going to school,” said Meenu Devi, a resident of Sular village.Despite the dog menace, avid dog lovers made it a point to reach Raja Bhalendra Singh Stadium (Polo Ground) here to participate in the dog show. However, the attendance of visitors was low this year as compared to the past few years. “Dogs are my passion and I have read about the stray dogs problem. Instead of hating dogs altogether the government needs to act with priority”, said Kavita Abrol, a participant.Exhibitors from Tamil Nadu, MP, UP, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Haryana, HP, Delhi and J and K participated in the event. Results of   64 th   All breeds championship dog show Best in show breed was Afghan Hound of Parveen Kumar from Bangalore. 2nd best in show:  Boxer of Parveen Kumar from Bangalore3 rd Best in show: Pomeranian of Olga Khmelevaka from NoidaBest puppy in show: Dobermann of Of SudipBest in show: Afghan Hound of Parveen Kumar from Bangalore2nd best in show: Rott Rottweiler of Charandeep Singh Gujral from Patiala3 rd Best in show: Boxer of Parveen Kumar from BangaloreBest puppy in show: Dobermann of Of Sudip Kundu from West Bengal