Madhya Pradesh: Toddler killed in stray dog attack, 'NGO interference' blamed

In a shocking incident, a two-year-old child was killed by a pack of stray dogs in Madhya Pradesh's Badwani. The incident has stirred outrage among locals, leading several councillors to protest at the municipal corporation premises.

Badwani civic body officials stated that actions are taken periodically, but that NGOs and dog lovers interfere with the process of catching stray dogs in the locality.

The incident occurred in ward No. 9 of the city as the toddler had stepped out of his house when the dogs attacked him.

The toddler's grandmother managed to free him from the dogs' hold, but he was severely injured by then. While being taken to the hospital, he succumbed to his injuries.

The victim's grandmother said, "There is a mutton market near our house, and there are stray dogs around. Due to the presence of dead animals, the dogs have become aggressive."

Many councillors, including Ward No. 9 councillors of Badwani Municipal Corporation, along with others, staged a sit-in protest at the municipal corporation premises. Municipal Corporation CEO Kushal Singh Dudwe described the incident as tragic.

He said, "We occasionally take action, but some time ago, our dog-catching vehicle met with an accident. Also, during the process of catching dogs, dog lovers and NGOs create problems. We keep taking action continuously, and even today, actions are being taken to catch dogs. However, our councillors who are protesting are saying that dead animals should not be thrown there. We will ensure that dead animals are not thrown there anymore."

"Dogs come more for food, so we are running a campaign to catch dogs, but the number is very high, and it is a bit difficult to catch them. We will continue this process, and this is a sad incident. We will target the same area first to prevent such incidents in the future," the official said.

The incident adds to the string of dog bites and deaths due to canine attacks on the streets of Madhya Pradesh. On January 23 alone, a total of 548 people were bitten by stray dogs Gwalior. Notably, the state has been recording a spate of dog attacks, with officials stating that measures to control the menace are underway.