Two-Year-Old Girl Suffers Serious Injuries in Stray Dog Attack in Maharashtra's Thane

A two-year-old girl suffered serious injuries after being attacked by a stray dog in Maharashtra's Thane district.

The attack happened on Friday evening and was recorded by a CCTV camera. Veda Vikas Kajare was walking in an alley with another girl when a stray dog approached from behind and attacked her. The child fell to the ground as the dog continued its assault.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Rohidas Munde expressed concern that the stray dog population in the area has increased uncontrollably despite numerous complaints. He warned, "If the Thane Municipal Corporation fails to take immediate action to capture these stray dogs, we will gather all dogs in the area and release them in the civic body's office."

This incident occurred on the same day an elderly couple from Delhi submitted a plea to the Supreme Court, highlighting the civic body's failure to act on complaints about a dog that had reportedly bitten at least six individuals.

On Friday, the Supreme Court noted an "alarming rise" in dog bite incidents in public spaces such as educational institutions, hospitals, bus stands, and railway stations. The court ordered that such dogs be relocated to shelter homes. Additionally, authorities including the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) were instructed to ensure highways and expressways remain clear of stray animals and cattle.

The court reserved its decision on an interim plea seeking to halt some directives issued on August 11, observing that the "whole problem" regarding stray dogs stemmed from "inaction" by local authorities.