Infant mauled to death by stray dog in Noida housing society

Residents staged a protest outside the housing society in Noida’s Sector 100 on October 18 after the tragic incident.

A seven-month-old child was mauled to death by a stray dog inside a  gated group housing society in Noida’s Sector 100. The child belonged to daily wage earners who were engaged for construction work, said residents of the society.

Both the parents were working within the complex when the child was attacked by the stray dog on October 17. The child died in a private hospital on October 18, they said.

Several residents held a protest outside the society in the morning.

“Around 10 to 15 stray dogs have been residing within the Lotus Boulevard complex for several years now and despite several dog bite incidents in the past, no action has been taken by the authorities. There’s been a constant battle between dog-loving residents and others. We are not against stray dogs but not at the cost of our children and residents’ safety,” Vinod Sharma, a resident of the society told Moneycontrol.

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Noida Authority should take responsibility for the incident. All these strays should be removed and taken to a shelter home. More such shelters should come up in green-belt areas, said Sharma, adding dog lovers can feed strays at the designated shelter and not within the housing society premises.

Also, why should residents be paying huge maintenance fees for a complex where such dog bite incidents are rampant. “This is a gated housing community, not a local mohalla,” he added.

A similar incident had taken place within the complex way back in 2018 when a stray dog had attacked a dhobi’s daughter in the basement, he said.

The incident follows several cases of dog bites in Delhi-NCR in the last few months. In the first instance, a pet dog attacked a child in the elevator of a residential society in Raj Nagar Extension, Ghaziabad. The second incident, in the Apex Athena society in Noida Sector-75, saw a dog on a leash attack a delivery boy in a lift.

The family of the victim should be compensated by the authorities, said Rajiva Singh, president, Noida Federation of Apartment Owners Associations (NOFAA).

Noida Authority had some time back agreed that there would be stray feeding points outside societies. These feeding points were expected to be created jointly along with the Association of Allottees or Resident Welfare Associations in isolated spots. This has not been done. Lack of stray dog shelters and the slow pace of sterilisation are the other reasons why such incidents have increased, he said.

The administration should create animal shelters and feeding points outside societies, he added.

Noida Authority officer Indu Prakash Singh was quoted as saying that the agency was coordinating with residential societies and dog shelters to check the menace of dog bites.

"Noida Authority is working on setting up four shelter homes for dogs. These shelter homes will come up within a month and help check the stray dog menace in Noida," he said.

Officials were quoted as saying that shelter homes are under preparation and should be ready within a month.

Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation last week banned residents from keeping Pitbull, Rottweiler, and Dogo Argentino as pets following dog bite incidents in the city.

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While dogs have been revered as man’s best friend for centuries because of their loyalty, affection and willingness to put their bodies on the line to protect their masters. But of late, after a few biting incidents, canines in Noida and Ghaziabad find themselves in the doghouse, and viewed as enemies. Resident welfare associations across the two NCR cities now find themselves caught in the crossfire between pet parents and those seeking stringent regulations to keep dogs in line.