Lucknow: The stray dog menace in Bareilly district is increasing by the day and the latest victim is a pregnant woman who was attacked by dogs in a field. The villagers, on hearing her scream rushed to save her and chased away the dogs with bamboo sticks but the victim, Lalita, had already lost one leg in the incident.
Stray dogs in Bareilly have killed five children and injured more than 10 in the last one-month. A stray dog had attacked and killed an eight-year-old girl in Hassanpur tehsil of Amroha on Sunday. The stray dogs move around in packs and mostly attack children and women.
The local authorities have tried catching the stray canines but in vain. The district officials had planned to throw blue paint on the stray canines in order to ensure their easy identification on the streets but the idea was put off after some people felt that it might have political overtones.
“We plan to tie a rope or a collar around their necks but the drive can begin only after Holi,” said Rameshwarnath Tiwari, sub-divisional magistrate, Baheri.
A veterinary expert, meanwhile, said that the reason why most of the stray dogs in the region were turning violent was large number of slaughter houses in the area.
“Biryani is sold in majority of the shops here and dogs feed on the leftovers. They have become habitual eaters of meat and when they do not get sufficient food, they attack children. Besides, this is the breeding season for dogs and they tend to become violent,” said the veterinary expert.
