One is absolutely shocked and numbed to learn about the horrendous dog attack on a 19-month-old child at Tolle, Durgabhat, Ponda. The news of an innocent child mauled to death by a pack of ferocious stray dogs sends a shiver down one’s spine. The child’s mother was married in Usgao, and the family was staying at Shahapur, near the Safa Masjid. The precious child was born after seven years of marriage to a Muslim family. The mother had come to her mother’s place at Durgabhat on Wednesday, April 16.
On this tragic Friday, at around 7:30 am, the girl’s uncle left for work, leaving the main door open. He drove the car out and closed the gate but did not latch it, as it cannot be latched.
Unfortunately, the child strayed out of the gate, crossed the road, and began to play in the open area, beyond which lies a jungle. The house is located at the dead end of the road at Durgabhat. Seven to eight dogs attacked the child, dragged her about 50 metres down the road, and mauled her, mainly attacking her head. They tore her dress and bit her all over the body, resulting in instant death.
Since it was a Good Friday holiday, not many people were on the street. After a neighbour noticed the incident on his CCTV camera, he rushed to the spot and alerted others and the family. By the time the child was taken to the Sub District Hospital in Ponda, she was declared brought dead.
In this case, the family must bear the major responsibility for neglecting to look after the child. However, in such a ghastly incident, when an innocent human life is lost, the focus also shifts to the civic authorities, who allow the uncontrolled growth of stray dogs—dogs that now operate like human gangs, fiercely guarding their territories and attacking humans.
Then there are the so-called animal lovers who feed these packs—sometimes even late at night, at great cost of their time. But is there anyone who thinks about the safety of humans versus these stray dogs? True, there are court orders stating that these dogs cannot be shot. However, the Animal Husbandry Department and the municipal and panchayat authorities must work out a permanent solution to the stray dog menace and the attacks on humans.
The current procedure involves local civic authorities picking up dogs, vaccinating them, and leaving them at the same spot where they were found. This enables the dogs to establish permanent territories, which they guard ferociously. At the very least, they chase two-wheeler riders and bite them, leading to falls and injuries. This happens across Goa, where colonies of stray dogs are thriving. In the worst-case scenarios, they attack not only children, like this innocent victim at Durgabhat, but even adults and senior citizens.
There has to be a permanent solution to this dog menace. Local panchayats, municipalities, the Corporation of the City of Panaji, and the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services must draw up a plan to create shelters for these dogs, so they cease to be a public threat. Sterilising them solves only half the problem. Vaccinating them against rabies solves only half the problem. Once they are released in the same locality, the threat of dog attacks remains. This is an all-Goa problem—in both cities and villages.
Immediately in Ponda, social workers who condemned the dog attack that led to the death of the child have called on the Ponda Municipal Council to set up a dog shelter near the Goa Milk Dairy at Ponda. The child’s death should serve as a stark reminder to the civic authorities about their responsibilities, instead of merely collecting salaries and DA month after month and behaving like typical babus, with no public sensitivity or accountability.
Finally, the Chief Minister, the Minister for Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services, and the Director of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services must hold an urgent meeting and draw up a plan to tackle dog attacks on an emergency basis. There must be periodic reviews, and more such deaths of innocents through dog attacks must be prevented.