Stray dogs guard abandoned newborn all night in West Bengal - ‘It was unbelievable’

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A group of stray dogs stood guard over an abandoned newborn baby outside a house in Nabadwip, West Bengal, protecting the infant through the night until help arrived early Monday morning.

The baby, only a few hours old, was found near a toilet outside a home in the Rail Colony area. There was no blanket, no note and no adult in sight. The infant was still marked with blood from birth, indicating that the child may have been abandoned soon after being born.

Instead of barking or fighting, the dogs formed a circle around the baby, almost like a protective shield. They stayed there throughout the night and did not move or allow anyone to come close.

Local resident Sukla Mondal was one of the first people to spot the baby at dawn. “It was unbelievable. The dogs were not aggressive. They looked alert and careful, like they were guarding the child,” she was quoted by PTI as saying.

Another resident, Subhash Pal, said he heard a faint cry early in the morning. “I thought some family nearby had a sick baby. I never imagined that a newborn was lying outside, with dogs standing around it,” he said.

When Sukla slowly stepped closer, the dogs moved aside without any aggression. She then wrapped the baby in her dupatta and called neighbours for help. The infant was taken to Maheshganj Hospital and later shifted to Krishnanagar Sadar Hospital for further treatment.

Doctors confirmed that the baby had no signs of injury. The blood on the child was most likely from the birth process. Police believe someone from the local area may have abandoned the child during the night. The Nabadwip police, have started an investigation and are working on arrangements for the baby’s long-term care.

Some older residents linked the event to the town’s long spiritual history, mentioning Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the 15th-century saint born in Nabadwip, who taught compassion and kindness toward all living beings.

By evening, children in the neighbourhood were seen feeding the stray dogs with biscuits. “They saved the baby,” one teenager said.