Pune: 5-Year-Old Boy Severely Injured in Stray Dog Attack in City; Residents Demand Action | File Pic
The issue of stray dogs attacking residents in Pune has escalated, with a 5-year-old boy, Samarth Sachin Suryavanshi, grievously injured. The incident took place on Thursday evening, December 29, within the premises of Chandrangan Phase 5 in Ambegaon Pathar. The boy, who was playing in the society’s compound, was mauled by a pack of five stray dogs and sustained severe head and facial injuries.
The boy is currently undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU) of a private hospital. Residents revealed that this is not the first such incident in the area, with several dog bite incidents having been reported previously.
Arvind Bhosale, a resident of Chandrangan, said, “Yesterday evening, a 5-year-old boy was severely attacked by a pack of five stray dogs and is now admitted to the ICU. These are not the first incidents of dog bites; these incidents have become common in our area. We are afraid to let children play outside. Authorities are not taking proper action. Even after running from pillar to post, the situation remains the same.”
Demand for vaccination grows
Gajanan Patil, a resident of the society, said, “On November 19, we reached out to the authorities regarding the dog menace in our area. We are living in constant fear of dogs; they have claimed territories in the area. Our children do not go outside, and the elderly cannot go for walks in the evening. The PMC vans do come to our area, but they don’t catch any dogs. They tell us that they have vaccinated them. Sterilization will only control the population, but biting incidents can’t be stopped by just vaccinating the dogs. In the past month, around five dog-biting incidents have occurred, and we are living in distress.”
“Yesterday night, the PMC dog-catching vehicle came after the incident, and they caught 4 dogs at night and 2 in the morning. They also vaccinated a few dogs, but their prompt action was only because of the severity of the incidents. Otherwise, they come, and on technical grounds, they do not catch the dogs,” he added.
Another resident, Sachin Suryavanshi, father of the boy who was attacked, said, “My child is just 5 years old and he’s admitted to Bharati hospital. When the incident happened, I was at the office, and my boy had gone with his grandmother. The intensity of the injury is very deep and major. Seeing a child like this makes us cry inside. If PMC had taken action earlier when we reported minor dog-biting incidents, my son wouldn’t have been mauled like this. He’s going through so much pain, and my heart aches seeing him in this condition.”
Here’s what PMC says
Dr. Sarika Funde, Head of the Veterinary Department, PMC, said, “We are proactively looking into the matter of stray dog population control by sterilizing them and actively catching the stray dogs that are causing a threat to the societies. Yesterday night, our van caught almost 6 stray dogs from the area. Also, while catching the stray dogs, we have to abide by the laws that are laid out. In our best capacity, we provide solutions to any stray menace across the city.”
A few weeks ago, a similar incident was reported in Dalvinagar, Ambegaon Budruk, where a four-year-old girl, Aaradhya Abhay Chavan, was bitten by a stray dog while playing outside her house. On the same day, another child was also injured in a separate dog attack.
