CHENNAI: A five-year-old girl was grievously injured when two pet Rottweiler dogs attacked her at a public park at Thousand Lights in Chennai on Sunday. The child has been admitted to a private hospital where she will undergo a surgery for her head injuries on Thursday, her father said. The Thousand Lights police arrested pet owner Pugazhendhi (63), his wife Dhanalakshmi (59), and son Venkatesan (30). They were later released on bail.
The girl, R Suraksha, stays in a single-room house at the park located on Nungambakkam High Road along with father Raghu (28) and mother Sonia (24). Raghu is employed as a security guard at the park. “Usually, Pugazhendhi, who lives nearby, would bring the dogs to the park for a walk and tie them up. But on Sunday, he did not tie them up. As Suraksha was playing near the park swing, the dogs attacked her,” Raghu said.
‘Pugazhendhi may have been involved in illegal breeding’
“I was not present at the spot during the incident, otherwise I wouldn’t have allowed Pugazhendhi to let the dogs roam inside the park.” Raghu said. Police source said as the dogs were attacking the girl, the child’s mother Sonia tried to rescue her. But the dogs attacked Sonia too.
Passersby rushed to their aid. Both Suraksha and Sonia were rushed to the hospital. A police source said, “Initially, both of them were sent to Government Royapettah Hospital but when Pugazhendhi offered to pay for treatments, they were shifted to a private hospital in Nungambakkam.”
Corporation Commissioner Dr J Radhakrishnan, who visited the girl at the hospital, said the civic body would treat the incident as a stray dog menace and act accordingly since it was a clear case of negligence on the part of the pet owner. “Currently her condition is stable but she is under great pain. Her scalp was ripped for 11 inches and she was bitten in the legs and other places.
Once her condition is stable, doctors would decide on performing plastic surgery on her,” Radhakrishnan said. After the incident, a case under IPC Sections 289 (negligent conduct with respect to animals) and 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) was registered. Later, Pugazhendhi, his wife Dhanalakshmi (59) and son Venkatesan (30) were arrested. Pugazhendhi runs a blood bank and Venkatesan is a doctor at a private hospital in Saidapet, police said.
Corporation sources said officials will attempt to secure the two dogs and take them to a place designated by the Animal Welfare Board. Corporation authorities said the owners of the Rottweilers do not have a pet licence and vaccinations for the dogs were due. Moreover, official sources added Pugazhendhi may have been involved in illegal breeding as one of the dogs was a male and the other a female.
New norms at corporation parks
Each pet owner will be allowed to take only one dog inside a park
Pets must be leashed, muzzled at all times inside the park
Entry of stray or unleashed dogs into the park is prohibited
Dogs' access to play area in the park will be restricted
(With inputs from Nirupama Viswanathan)