4-year-old girl mauled by a pack of stray dogs in Maharashtra town, sustains 100 wounds

CHHATRAPATI SAMBHAJINAGAR: A pack of six to seven stray dogs attacked a four-year-old girl in Naregaon area of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on Saturday morning, leaving her with injuries.

The child, Ayesha Sayyed Munwar, was returning from a nearby shop when the dogs pounced on her. She was rushed to the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), where she has been admitted to the ICU with multiple bite wounds across her body.

The incident has reignited concerns over the implementation of the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme by the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation, with residents demanding action against officials.

AIMIM corporator from Naregaon, Matin Patel, said the girl is the daughter of a single mother. "The girl went to buy samosas at a nearby shop alone when stray dogs attacked her. The dogs mauled the girl and bit every part of her body before locals could come in for help," he said.

Patel alleged that the family, which is financially weak, faced initial hurdles at the hospital. "The victim's mother works as a labourer and is a divorcee. When the girl was first taken to GMCH, doctors refused to admit her. She had over 100 wounds on her body and was finally admitted when we went to the GMCH," he said.

However, hospital authorities said the child is stable. "The victim has been kept in an ICU and her vital parameters are normal. We will administer anti-rabies vaccine and rabies antiserum besides other drug regimens to treat her wounds," said Dr Mudassar Ansari, resident medical officer.

Local resident Shaikh Arif alleged large-scale lapses in controlling the stray dog population. "The authorities carry out dog sterilisation only on paper. There is huge corruption in the sterilisation programme. Official neglect is putting citizens' lives at risk," he said.

Shaikh Shahed Shaikh Nizam, animal husbandry officer of the municipal corporation, who visited the hospital, did not respond to calls and messages seeking comment. In a statement, the civic administration said four stray dogs had been picked up from the Naregaon area following the incident.