A video showing a stray dog roaming freely inside a passenger lounge at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) in Shamshabad has gone viral on social media, triggering outrage among travellers and netizens. The footage, which surfaced online on Tuesday, shows the dog sitting on a table and eating leftover food left behind by passengers inside the airport lounge. Many social media users questioned how a stray animal managed to enter a highly secured airport area despite multiple layers of security and screening.

Following the backlash, GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited responded to the incident, stating that it has been working alongside GHMC to control the stray dog issue around the airport premises. According to airport officials, GHMC teams have been conducting regular removal drives and have already removed 21 stray dogs since January this year. The airport operator also claimed that waste management and cleanliness protocols inside the terminal have been tightened to avoid attracting animals.

Despite the clarification, public criticism continued to grow online, with several users calling the incident a serious lapse in airport hygiene and security management. The airport authorities have not yet explained exactly how the dog entered the passenger lounge area. Hyderabad has been facing a growing stray dog problem overall, with civic data estimating nearly 4.7 lakh stray dogs across the city, while authorities continue struggling to control the situation effectively.