A 10-year-old boy suffered critical injuries after a stray dog attacked him, tearing off a patch of his scalp along with hair, at the Sector 11 market on Saturday morning when he had come with his parents to sell flowers.
The incident took place when Ritik had gone to a nearby shop to buy something while his parents, along with his one-year-old brother, were at their flower cart. Hearing his screams, passers-by gathered at the spot and rushed him to the hospital. The incident has once again highlighted the growing stray dog menace in Panchkula.
The victim, identified as Ritik, a Class-5 student and a resident of HMT Colony, Barwala, was rushed to the civil hospital in Sector 6, where he was administered first-aid and an anti-rabies vaccine before being admitted for further treatment. In another instance in July, a 28-year-old domestic help suffered multiple dog bites while managing to save her three-month-old baby during an attack by a pack of stray dogs in Rally village, Sector 12. The scale of the problem can be gauged from the fact that the civil hospital receives around 15 to 20 dog-bite cases every day. Panchkula has recorded around 7,600 dog-bite cases in the first six months of this year, while more than 14,000 cases were reported last year.
Speaking later in the evening, his father said the child was still at the hospital and doctors may keep him under observation for a few more days due to the severity of his injuries.
The boy was walking when he was suddenly attacked by the dog, according to information. He added that locals had told him the same dog had allegedly bitten another person earlier.
