CHENNAI: A seven-month-old baby and a nine-year-old boy were among the three people attacked by a stray dog at Park Avenue in Velachery on Friday.
According to Chennai Corporation officials, the incident occurred around 4 pm on Bavani Street in Velachery when Kathirmathi, a seven-month-old female baby, was on her grandmother’s lap outside their house. A stray dog suddenly charged at them and bit the grandmother and the baby on the right shoulder and attempted to drag the infant down. Hearing the grandmother’s cries for help, locals rushed to the spot and managed to chase the dog away.
However, the same dog later attacked another boy nearby at Baby Nagar. The victim, a nine-year-old Asthaful, was bitten in the thigh before the dog fled the scene. Both the children were taken to a private hospital, where they received vaccinations.
Locals claimed that the same dog had either attacked or attempted to attack at least seven to eight people in the area, and raised concerns over increasing stray dog incidents. They have urged the corporation to take immediate measures to control the stray dog menace and ensure public safety.
A corporation official told TNIE that at least 10 complaints about stray dog menace are received daily from this division. “But it is only now that we have received reports of attacks. We plan to conduct an anti-rabies vaccination drive on Sunday for stray dogs in this region,” the official added.
“Once we received the complaint, we captured a suspected dog from the area. It is currently under observation to check for rabies. However, the search is still on,” the GCC veterinary officer said.
He added that since February, 476 stray dogs have been sterilised across the city, including 47 in zone 13. “Whenever ferocious dogs are identified, we capture them and keep them under observation for 10 days to check for rabies. If they are found to be free of rabies and not terminally ill, we have no choice but to release them back in the same place, as per existing regulations,” he said.