Toddler mauled to death by stray dogs in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: An 18-month-old boy died after allegedly being mauled by a pack of stray dogs in Jawahar Nagar near here, police said on Wednesday.

The incident occurred on Tuesday night when the boy came out of his house and a dog dragged him to some distance and later some strays bit him resulting in injuries, they said.

The boy was initially rushed to a private hospital and from there referred to a state-run hospital where he died last night, a police official at Jawahar Nagar police station said.

Based on a complaint from the boy's parents a case was registered. The family hails from Siddipet district and had shifted to Jawahar Nagar two months ago.

The incident highlights the growing number of stray dog population in the city. Locals are urging the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) to take immediate action to control the stray dog menace.

Reacting to the incident, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy directed the officials concerned to prevent recurrence of such incidents. He suggested to establish a call centre and a toll free number to accept the grievances from the public.

"An expert committee should be appointed by the GHMC with the support of veterinary doctors and representatives of Blue Cross to study the reasons of stray dog attacks on the public," the CM told the officials. He also instructed officials to take up vaccination drives to check the canine menace.

Health department officials were asked to ensure that medicines to treat patients of dog bites are available in all urban health centres in Hyderabad and all primary healthcare centres in the state.

Another boy injured in Jagitial

In another incident, a seven-year-old boy, who was playing in front of his house at Mangela village in Jagtial district was attacked by a stray dog, police said.

The boy sustained bleeding injuries and was admitted to a government hospital. The boy was stated to be out of danger.