Over 2,800 citizens mauled by stray dogs in Hyderabad this year

Latest victim was a lady health worker who was attacked during polio vaccination drive

HYDERABAD:

Over 2,800 citizens have been bitten by stray dogs in Hyderabad in the past four months, causing concern among civic circles.

Although Deputy Commissioner has instructed the civic bodies to launch a campaign against stray dogs, no action has been taken so far, residents of Heerabad locality said.

According to Liaquat University Hospital (LUH) officials, 35-year-old Shafqat, a lady health worker in Hyderabad, was the latest victim of stray dog bites.

She was bitten while she was administering polio drops to children within Union Council No74 of Tando Fazal area of Hyderabad, during the polio vaccination campaign this week.

According to the LUH data, an alarming number of 2,833 citizens have been injured in dog bite incidents in different areas of the city in the first four months of this year.

The dog bite victims include a large number of women and children who were attacked by stray canines while going out of their homes or playing outside. In particular, there were 708 cases of dog bite in January, 761 cases in February, 749 in March and 615 cases during April.

The Sindh government had announced a plan to control the population of stray dogs and even allocated funds for it, but no practical progress has been made so far. The city's residents are worried about the increasing number of stray dogs and the danger they pose to public health.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 4^th, 2024.