Pet pitbull mauls 11-year-old in Jaipur, case filed against owner

JAIPUR: A 11-year-old boy’s face was badly injured when the landlord’s dog attacked him inside his home at Tagore Nagar J block in Hanuman Vatika here on Monday.
The pitbull, besides crushing the facial bones of victim Vishal Meena, also inflicted grievous injuries on his head, neck, thighs and hand during the attack.
Based on a complaint by the neighbor, a case was registered against the dog’s owner and caretaker in Chitrakoot police station.
A police official said, “A case has been registered under IPC Section 289 that deals with negligent conduct.”
Vishal’s father Jagdish works as a labourer in pet owner’s Durgesh Hada’s residence. The incident occurred around 10.30am when the dog reached the backyard where Meena family lives on rent.
It was alleged that the dog was not on a leash and attacked the boy unprovoked when he was playing. After the mother and the boy cried for help, residents rushed to the spot and rescued the child. However, by then he was seriously injured. Following this, Meena was rushed to the SMS Hospital. After primary treatment, he was shifted to a private hospital. The condition of the child was reported critical.
Meanwhile, the JMC-Greater took custody of the dog and sent it to a rescue centre at Jai Singh Pura Khor.
Rajesh Gupta , in-charge livestock at JMC-Greater said, “The dog will be kept under observation for two days. Based on doctors advise’ we will decide our next step.”
Though the breeds is in demand for the macho image, experts claim ferocious guard dogs with killer consequences should not be kept at home.
Veterinary doctor Arvind Mathur said, “We always discourage people from purchasing ferocious breeds of dogs for their homes. The behaviour of these foreign breeds is unpredictable and its constant threat for owners and people living in surroundings.”
Activists claimed these breeds is either banned or restricted in many countries and to keep these aggressive dogs, the owners have to follow certain regulations. In Rajasthan, many of these owners are keeping them as pets illegally.
Shubhamoy Kumar, secretary, People for Earth said, “To earn money, breeders are selling these dogs. Pitbull is not registered with Kennel Club of India (KCI). The administration should take action against all the breeders and owners.”