A two-year-old boy was seriously injured after being mauled by a stray dog in Ferozepur Cantonment, triggering panic among residents and renewed demands for immediate and sustained action against the growing stray-dog menace in residential areas.
Raghav suffered severe injuries to his face and was rushed to a private hospital, where he is undergoing treatment. Doctors have also recommended medical procedures to minimise the risk of infection. The attack was captured on a CCTV camera installed in the locality. The incident has sparked fresh concern among residents, particularly over the safety of children and senior citizens who use the area’s streets and public spaces. Residents demanded regular sterilisation and vaccination drives, adequate shelter facilities and the capture and relocation of stray dogs wherever permitted under the law. They also called for special measures in residential localities where children frequently play and senior citizens move around. The DC reportedly assigned the matter to SDM Abhishek Sharma and assured the injured child’s family of all possible support.
His father, Kapil, said the child may require multiple surgeries. Cantonment Board sanitary superintendent Abhishek Pandey said such drives were conducted periodically, although officials sometimes faced opposition from animal lovers. On Wednesday, area residents met deputy commissioner Deepshikha Sharma and urged the district administration to implement an effective and continuous stray-dog management programme. Meanwhile, the Cantonment Board launched a drive on Wednesday morning to catch stray dogs in the affected area.
A stray dog attacked the child and continued mauling him for nearly 10 minutes before nearby residents intervened and rescued him, according to his family. The incident took place on Tuesday evening when two-year-old Raghav was playing outside his home in the cantonment area.
