Stray dog eats leftovers on table inside Hyderabad airport. Authorities react

A video showing a stray dog climbing onto a table and eating leftover food at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport left social media users raising concerns over cleanliness and hygiene standards at a major international travel hub.

The clip, shared on X by Siraj Noorani, gained traction after it appeared to capture the dog casually feeding on leftovers in a passenger seating area near the airport food court.

In the video, the stray dog was seen standing on seating placed outside the food court, reaching up to eat leftover food from trays abandoned on a table. Passengers seated nearby appeared largely unfazed by the scene as the animal continued eating undisturbed.

Sharing the clip online, Noorani wrote: “Dog Eating on Table at Shamshabad Airport. Conditions at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport have been exposed. Passengers were shocked to see a dog climbing onto a restaurant table and eating leftover food. This has sparked severe criticism over cleanliness at an international airport. Responding to the incident, the management assured that such events would not reoccur.”

Watch the video here:

Following the post, Hyderabad airport authorities responded publicly under the video, outlining measures being taken to prevent similar incidents.

Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, responding through its official X account, wrote: “Dear Siraj, as part of strengthened wildlife management measures, we are working in close coordination with GHMC (Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation), the designated authority for stray dog control. GHMC teams conduct regular drives within the airport premises, and 21 stray dogs have been addressed since January 2026.”

The airport then stated that strict waste management protocols had been reinforced across all service providers, including mandatory disposal of waste in covered bins. Authorities also said on-ground staff had been sensitised to maintain heightened vigilance and proactively implement preventive measures to ensure such incidents were effectively mitigated.

The viral clip triggered strong reactions online, with social media users expressing disgust and concern over hygiene at an airport handling thousands of domestic and international passengers daily.

Several commenters indirectly questioned how a stray animal was able to access a passenger dining area, while others criticised what they viewed as lapses in cleanliness and monitoring standards.

Some users also raised broader concerns around food safety in public spaces, indirectly arguing that airports are expected to maintain stricter hygiene protocols given their role as high-traffic transit hubs.