Shivpuri: A stray dog went on a massive biting spree across multiple localities in Madhya Pradesh’s Shivpuri city, injuring nearly 60 people, including a two-year-old girl, who sustained severe facial wounds.
The victims, among them women and children, were rushed to the district hospital and local health centres on Saturday, prompting the municipal council to launch an emergency capture operation.
According to eyewitnesses, a black stray dog targeted unsuspecting pedestrians in several neighbourhoods, with the most severe attack reported in Laxmibai Colony, where the two-year-old girl playing outside her house suffered critical facial injuries before locals intervened to rescue her from the animal.
Health officials said that by evening, nearly 60 victims had reported to the district hospital and local health centres with dog bite injuries, and they were immediately administered anti-rabies vaccines and provided necessary medical treatment.
Shivpuri Municipal Council Chief Municipal Officer Ishank Dhakad confirmed that the animal was successfully tracked down and captured.
Instructions have been issued to the concerned teams to intensify surveillance in the affected areas and ensure public safety, Dhakad said.
The incident comes days after the Supreme Court allowed euthanasia for rabid, incurably ill, or demonstrably dangerous stray dogs to curb the threat to human life.
The apex court dismissed pleas seeking a recall of its earlier order on the relocation and sterilisation of stray canines, as it observed that the right to live with dignity encompasses the right to move freely without the threat of harm from dog bite attacks.
Locals, meanwhile, have expressed concern about the growing menace of stray dogs in the city and demanded a permanent solution.
Complaints had been raised on several occasions in the past, but inadequate action had put public safety at risk, they said.
The administration has urged citizens to remain vigilant and immediately report any aggressive or suspicious animals to the authorities.
