Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, June 4

Stray dogs attacked a 15-year-old girl at Krishna Nagar near Ghumar Mandi here. The girl was badly bitten on one of her arms and other body parts while she also received injuries on the head and forehead after she fell down as about five stray dogs attacked her.

Father of the girl, Vinod Kumar, said: “My daughter Neha, along with her mother, was going to her relative’s house on Thursday morning when around five stray dogs attacked her. She received dog-bite injuries on various parts of her body. When the dogs attacked, my daughter fell down due to which she also received injuries on her head and forehead.”

Kumar, who is a factory worker, said: “Two passers-by came to the rescue of my daughter, otherwise the dogs could harm her more. She was bleeding profusely due to bites and the head injury. After getting information, I reached the spot and took my daughter to a nearby hospital wherein I spent about Rs 3,500 for her treatment. She was administered an anti-rabies vaccine while four more vaccines will be given to her in days to come.”

He alleged: “A resident of the area generally feeds these dogs due to which a large number of stray dogs gather outside his home where my daughter was attacked. I have informed the ward councillor and also given a complaint to the police in this regard. The government is requested to take steps to protect people from stray dog attacks.”

Even after passing more than 24 hours, none of the MC officials contacted the victim or her family.

Councillor Gurpreet Gogi said: “I was outside the city but the matter has come to my notice. I will meet the injured girl after returning from Chandigarh tomorrow and take up the matter with the MC authorities.”

Meanwhile, a city resident said: “It is the responsibilit of the Municipal Corporation to take required steps for the prevention of dog-bite cases. The Municipal Corporation should pay for the treatment of injured persons who were attacked by stray dogs and compensation should be given to victims.”

Municipal Corporation’s senior veterinary officer Harbans Dhalla said, “We will send a team to the area for sterilisation of stray dogs soon.”