The Shocking Reality of Dog Attacks in Hyderabad
Hyderabad: A pack of stray dogs surrounded a five-year-old boy and mauled him to death in Hyderabad on Sunday. The chilling footage of the incident was captured by a CCTV camera near the compound in Amberpet where the boy’s father worked as a watchman.
The child, Pradeep, was accompanying his father to work when he was attacked. The video shows the child walking alone. Soon after, three dogs rush to the child and surround him. The frightened boy tries to run away, but the dogs approach and pin him to the ground. They then start pulling at his clothes as the child tries to get free. Every time he tries to get up, the dogs attack him and knock him down. Soon they completely overwhelm him and bite him all over. Three smaller dogs appear and they can be seen looking on as the big dogs continue to bite the child and drag him into the corner. The child, as it appears from the visuals, died on the spot.
No complaint has been filed by the family, police said.
Telangana Municipal Administration Minister KT Rama Rao said he was “very hurt” by the incident. “My condolences to the family. I am very sorry for what happened. We will do everything we can to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” he said.
The minister added: “We have set up animal welfare centers and animal birth control centers and we are trying to address this challenge. We are also trying to treat animals in a humane manner. Bio-waste disposal is a serious problem. When an incident like This is a fuss and fuss. We’ll do everything we can to stop it.”
Mayor Vijayalakshmi Gadwal called an emergency meeting on Tuesday afternoon to discuss emergency measures to ensure that such a terrible tragedy does not happen again.
The heartbreaking incident has once again brought the menace of stray dogs to the fore, with many people sharing footage of the attack on the child on social media and demanding strict action from the authorities.
The incident comes about two weeks after a four-year-old boy died after being attacked by stray dogs in Gujarat’s Surat. Earlier in January, over 80 people were hospitalized in Bihar’s Arrah after a stray dog went on a biting rampage.
Frequent reports of dog attacks are sparking debate in residential societies over whether roaming should be allowed on campus. Many attacked dog lovers for feeding the animals.
The matter has also reached the courts, with the Bombay High Court stressing the need for a mechanism to neuter, feed, groom and vaccinate stray dogs.
The court’s observation came while it was hearing a petition by residents of an apartment complex in Mumbai, who demanded that the local civic body demarcate areas for feeding stray dogs.
