Bengaluru: A four-year-old girl suffered multiple injuries on her face, hands, and legs after a pack of six stray dogs attacked her near the indoor stadium in CQAL Layout, Sahakarnagar, north Bengaluru, on Sunday evening. The incident has again raised concerns over the stray dog menace in the city.
Victim’s Condition and Background
Sangeetha has since been administered anti-rabies injections at a local hospital and is said to be recovering, sources said. The girl is the daughter of construction workers from Yadgir.
Details of the Attack
As per CCTV footage, the girl was walking near the indoor stadium when the dogs suddenly closed in on her around 4:30 pm. The girl’s father, Hanumantha, said a family regularly feeds the stray dogs. “My daughter would often watch them. These dogs tend to become aggressive whenever unfamiliar people come into the area,” he said.
Official Response
The incident took place under the jurisdiction of Bengaluru North City Corporation and has triggered outrage among local residents. Officials from the corporation’s animal husbandry wing visited the spot and gathered information from residents. Pommala Sunil Kumar, commissioner, said the civic body will take action against aggressive animals. “I’ve taken an update on the child’s condition. We’ll remove the aggressive dogs and keep them under observation. If dog-related complaints were raised during our public grievance programmes and were not attended to, it is our fault. In any case, I’ve instructed officials to revisit all dog-related complaints. Our shelter facility is also getting ready,” he said.
Residents’ Concerns
Residents said fear of stray dogs has become a part of daily life in the layout, affecting children, senior citizens, morning walkers, delivery personnel, and even sanitation workers. They alleged that dogs picked up by civic authorities are often released back into the same locality within days.
“We are scared. Even the woman who sweeps our roads has avoided this stretch for nearly ten months because of stray dogs. We shared the CCTV footage because people often dismiss our complaints. This time, there was clear evidence of the incident. We want the authorities to understand the gravity of the situation,” said Saroja Krishnaswamy, a resident.
Pramod, a tutor from the layout, said they are not against dogs, but not at the cost of people’s safety. “There are five or six stray dogs in the area. Residents, students, morning walkers, and even security guards have faced attacks not infrequently,” he said.
Context of Stray Dog Attacks in Bengaluru
The latest attack comes amid continuing concern over stray dog-related incidents in Bengaluru. In July last year, a 68-year-old man was mauled to death by a pack of dogs in Kodigehalli, while several other attacks reported across the city have raised questions about the effectiveness of existing animal-control measures.
