Priyanka Pawar with her pet dog; (centre, right) the injuries she sustained in the recent attack
A 28-year-old Belapur resident was attacked by a stray dog for the third time in four months while taking her pet dog out for a stroll. The attack was so severe that she has sustained several wounds on her thighs and knees.
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Priyanka Pawar, the victim said that she had tried to get in touch with the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) to register a complaint about the stray dog menace several times in the past but got no response. "Are the NMMC officials waiting for a bigger tragedy to happen before taking action?," she asked.
Pawar, a project manager with a travel start-up resides in Sector 25 of CBD Belapur. She takes her pet for a stroll every day. On August 7, while she was returning from the walk, she was suddenly attacked by a stray dog that lives in the vicinity.
"I don't know where he came from. He just grabbed hold of my right leg. I tried to push him away but he bit my right hand too. I did shout for help but due to the lockdown, there was no one on the street. I somehow managed to free myself and run home," she said.
Pawar was taken to the doctor by her parents where she received treatment on her wounds. This is the third time that the same dog has attacked Pawar.
"The first time, in April, he got hold of my hip. He bit me again in May and now in August," added Pawar.
She has written to NMMC officials about the dog, "I have written emails and tweeted about the incident and sought help from NMMC but haven't received any response yet."
Speaking to mid-day, Shashikant Tandel, ward officer (CBD-Belapur) said, "We will look into it. It is a really unfortunate incident. Due to COVID-19, we are busy with the pandemic management. But we will look into this incident and immediately resolve this issue. Residents having any conflicts with strays should immediately reach out to us."
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