A 6-year-old girl is in critical condition after a brutal attack by two stray dogs at Patan on Thursday morning. The incident has raised serious questions about the local administration’s failure to control rising threat of stray dogs. The victim, identified as Kavita, was on her way back from a local shop in Sahoo Colony in the morning, when two dogs suddenly pounced on her. According to eyewitnesses, the dogs mauled the child for nearly two to three minutes as she screamed for help. Passersby intervened by throwing stones and sticks to chase the dogs away. One of the dogs even followed the injured girl till her house before being driven out by neighbours. Kavita sustained deep wounds in her head, hands, legs and shoulder. She was initially taken to a local health center for first-aid before being referred to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Medical College due to severity of her injuries.

 

Her mother, Ahilyabai, stated that the girl is still in shock and unable to speak. The family, originally from Dindori district, had moved to Patan six months ago, where the mother works as a daily-wage worker to support the family. The incident has led to public outrage, with local residents expressing their frustration over the administration’s insensitive attitude and inaction. They claimed to have filed multiple complaints with the municipal council about rising number of stray dogs, but no permanent solution has been implemented. Neighbours are demanding immediate action to catch and control stray dog population, fearing that another child could be at risk if concrete steps are not taken soon. The attack highlights the urgent need for a more robust stray animal management and vaccination program in the area to prevent such tragedies in the future.