HYDERABAD: A five-month-old boy died on Monday due to grievous injuries he sustained in an attack by a pack of stray dogs in Hyderabad. This is the latest in a series of such heart-wrenching incidents in the city and other parts of Telangana this year.
The infant, who was sleeping in a hut in the Vinoba Nagar neighbourhood in the Shaikpet area of Hyderabad, was mauled by stray dogs on December 8. Five-month-old Sharat, son of daily-wage labourers Anji and Anusha, was admitted to the Osmania General Hospital, where he breathed his last on Monday after battling for life for nearly 17 days.
Sharat’s mother went to hand over the keys to the local community hall when the attack took place. Anji, who is a mechanic, was not present when the dogs entered the hut and attacked the infant on the head, neck and face.
Hearing the cries of the boy, neighbours rushed to the spot and took him to a nearby hospital. Later he was shifted to Niloufer Hospital. On the advice of doctors, the parents shifted him to the OGH for better treatment.
The doctors performed surgeries and made efforts to save him. However, after 17 days of fighting for his life, he succumbed to the injuries. Anji and Anusha broke down after hearing the news of their son’s death.
Locals are furious with authorities for their alleged inaction though stray dogs are attacking children at regular intervals. They lodged a complaint with the police, who in turn registered a case based on CCTV footage.
Urban areas in the state see 30-40 dog bite cases daily
Following the attack on the five-month-old boy on December 8, the veterinary wing of the GHMC caught over a dozen street dogs but found that all of them had already been sterilised. The dogs were subsequently released in the same area as per the guidelines.
Every day, the state capital and other urban areas in Telangana report 30–40 dog bite cases. Earlier this year in February, a five-year-old boy was mauled to death by a pack of street dogs in Amberpet and the entire incident was captured on a CCTV camera.
After this incident, the civic authorities announced new measures to check the menace of stray dogs, but citizens said these have not resulted in any positive change.