A pack of stray dogs surrounded a five-year-old boy and mauled him to death in Hyderabad on Sunday. Spine-chilling visuals of the incident were captured by a CCTV camera near the premises in Amberpet where the boy’s father worked as a security guard.
The child, Pradeep, had accompanied his father to work when he was attacked. In the video, the child is seen walking alone. Soon after, three dogs come charging towards the child and surround him. The terrified boy tries to run, but the dogs close in and push him to the ground. They then start pulling at his clothes as the child struggles to break free. Every time he tries to get up, the dogs attack him and bring him down. Soon, they completely overpower him and bit him all over. Three smaller dogs appear and are seen looking on as the big dogs keep biting the child and drag him to a corner. The child, it appears from the visuals, died on the spot.
No complaint has been filed by the family, police said.
Telangana’s Municipal Administration Minister KT Rama Rao said he was “very pained” by the incident. “Sincere condolences to the family. Very pained by what happened. Will do everything in our capacity to ensure this does not repeat,” he said.
The minister added, “We have established animal care centres and animal birth control centres and try and tackle this challenge. We try to treat the animals in a humane manner as well. Biological waste disposal is a serious issue. When there is an incident like this, there is furore and uproar. We will do all that we can to stop this.”
Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Mayor Vijayalakshmi Gadwal called an emergency meeting on Tuesday afternoon to discuss emergency measures to ensure such a horrific tragedy does not recur.
The heart-rending incident has yet again brought to the fore the menace of stray dogs, with many sharing visuals of the attack on the child on social media and demanding strict action from 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 hospitalised in Bihar’s Arrah after a stray dog went on a biting spree.
The frequent reports of dog attacks are sparking altercations in residential societies on whether strays should be allowed on the premises. Many have hit out at dog lovers for feeding the animals.
The matter has also reached courts, with the Bombay High Court stressing that a mechanism was needed for the neutering, feeding, grooming and vaccination of stray dogs.
The court’s observation came while it was hearing a petition by residents of a Mumbai apartment complex, who demanded that the local civic body demarcate feeding areas for stray dogs.
