Maharashtra: Raigad district sees 6,427 dog bite cases in six months

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As many as 6,427 dog bite cases have been reported in Maharashtra's Raigad district in the past six months, officials said on Tuesday, according to the PTI.

The Raigad district saw 8,757 incidents of stray dogs attacking people in 2020.

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The number rose to 9,138 in 2021 and 10,625 last year, as per data shared by health officials, the PTI reported.

Stray dog bites can introduce dangerous bacteria into human bodies and can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections when left untreated.

In the first six months of this year, 6,427 people have been bitten by stray canines, they said, adding that those affected can avail of free treatment in government hospitals.

Two-wheeler riders at night are often targeted by packs of stray dogs, they said. When chased by dogs, a biker can also fall and suffer injuries, an official told the PTI.

While sterilising stray dogs is an effective way to keep their population in check, civic authorities in the district are hurdles in this regard.

Since the canines are required to be kept at a safer place for at least a week after sterilization, the civic bodies do not have enough of such places, they added.

Meanwhile, in April, authorities in Kerala said that an eleven-year-old boy was found dead in a suspected case of a stray dog attack in Muzhappilangad town in the district, news agency ANI had reported.

The news agency had quoted Edakkad police saying that the boy, Nihal, went out of his house and when he did not return, the family and the locals started searching for him.

After searching for some time in the area, the boy's body was found around 8 pm in Muzhappilangad town, a police officer had earlier said.

"The child's body bore multiple injury marks which seemed to have been caused by an animal bite," the officer said.

"He was unconscious and rushed to a hospital. The doctors at the hospital declared him brought dead," the officer added.

The body has been shifted to the mortuary, he said.

Police have started further investigations.

Last year, a minor (12) died after being attacked by a stray dog in Kerala's Kottayam.

Following a series of stray dog attacks, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had said that the menace of stray dogs cannot be solved by killing the dogs and added that to overcome the issue a scientific solution must be sought.

President Kerala Congress -- K Sudha Karan -- in a tweet on Monday morning alleged that the left party government gave a vague response to his inquiry about the "stray dog menace". "Deeply saddened to hear about the tragic loss of Nausad's son Nihal in a stray dog attack in Kettilakathu, Kannur. Despite my inquiry about the stray dog menace in Lok Sabha, Govt provided a vague response, and unfortunately, the issue remains unresolved in Kerala. Om shanti!" he tweeted.

(with PTI and ANI inputs)