WHO LET THE DOGS OUT?

Laws for stray dogs are good on paper, implementation and but lack proper regular monitoring

- MOHIT SHARMA

IN 48 HOURS, Sushma Kushwaha lost two sons, aged six and seven. Both were mauled to death by street dogs in Delhi’s Vasant Kunj in March. The postmortem found the cause of death to be dog bites on neck and abdomen. Not taking chances with the safety of her nine-year-old son Ansh, she sent him to her mother’s home in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. “I feel scared for him, too,” she said.

Kushwaha’s fear is not misplaced. Delhi sees 1,345 dog bites a month. It is no better across India. More than 27.5 lakh people were bitten by dogs across India in 2023. This includes an 11-year-old autistic boy, who died after being bitten by stray dogs in Muzhappilangad in Kerala’s Kannur district in June. In February, a pack of dogs mauled a four-year-old in Hyderabad. Shahwala village in Punjab rose up in anger following a boy’s death, demanding strong action against the stray dog menace.

“The situation has come to a point where parents are now scared to send their children out to play,” said Pranav Singh, secretary, residents’ welfare association (RWA), Urban Homes, Aditya Walled City, Ghaziabad. “We are doing everything at our end but the problem does not seem to abate.”

Here’s the biting truth: dog bites and rabies are emerging as serious public health and safety concerns.