Tricity goes to the (stray) dogs

Hina Rohtaki

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, March 27

Thirty-seven persons, including several children, were bitten by stray dogs in Panchkula today.

The victims took treatment at the General Hospital, Sector 6. By 11 am, 23 of them had turned up at the hospital. Since March 24, over 137 persons have been bitten by stray dogs in the township, of which the maximum 63 cases were reported on March 24.

Principal Medical Officer at the hospital Usha Gupta said, “Stray dog bite cases are increasing by the day. Earlier, on an average, we received 12 to 15 dog bite cases a day. The number has nearly doubled now. We always keep sufficient vaccine with us.”

Most of the cases reported today were from the rural belt, including Ramgarh, Bir Ghaggar, Surajpur, Devinagar and Old Panchkula. Among the cases reported from the urban area, a majority were from Sectors 9 and 15.

Vishnu (10), a resident of Old Panchkula, was bitten by a stray dog today while he was walking home from his friend’s house. He was taken to the hospital where he received an injection.

“I was walking home when a dog chased me. I tried to run, but fell and was bitten,” said Vishnu.

Similarly, Saroj, who works as a maid in house number 346 in Sector 9, was bitten by a stray dog. The Singlas, who own the house, said since the time they shifted here, they have had four maids, all of whom have been bitten at least once by stray dogs in the park.

“My son was cycling outside and a dog chased him following which the child fell and got injured. Thankfully, I reached the spot on time or else the dog would have bitten him too,” said Vishal Sood, a resident of Sector 15.

Each time officials of the Panchkula Municipal Corporation are asked about the stray dog menace, their standard reply is that tenders have being floated for finding a contractor to catch dogs. Tenders for catching stray dogs were floated thrice, but no contractor turned up, said an official.

Panchkula Mayor Upinder Kaur Ahluwalia said, “Since no contractor has turned up, we have sought help from retired veterinary doctors now.”