Three-year-old mauled by stray dog in Maharashtra's Beed; receives 12 stitches on face

A three-year-old girl sustained severe facial injuries, requiring 12 stitches, after being mauled by a stray dog in the Maharashtra's Beed district, officials said on Sunday.

The incident took place in the Shivtej Nagar area of the city's​​ Dhande Nagar, where the girl was playing outside her home.

The injured girl has been identified as Shivanshi Rameshwar Gholap.

The minor is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital in the Nagar Naka area.

A similar incident was reported last month in the city's Dhanor Road area, where a pack of stray dogs attacked a young girl standing at her doorstep. The dogs dragged her from the doorway all the way to the street. Public outrage against the municipal administration surged after CCTV footage of that incident surfaced.

Furthermore, reports of the stray dog ​​menace were also reported last week from the Mominpura area of ​​Beed city, where several people were reportedly attacked by stray dogs.

Now, with the three-year-old becoming the latest victim of the stray menace in the city, questions are being raised about the effectiveness of the municipal administration's actions.

Meanwhile, in order to confront the rapidly rising stray dog menace across Maharashtra, the state government, last month, launched a comprehensive statewide intervention.

All urban and rural local bodies have been directed to strictly enforce sterilisation and anti-rabies vaccination protocols in full alignment with the Central government’s Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023, and directives issued by the Supreme Court.

The announcement was made by Industries Minister Uday Samant during the Question Hour in the state's Legislative Assembly. The issue was brought to the floor through a question raised by MLA Arjun Khotkar regarding the escalating safety risks posed by stray dogs. Other members, including Amin Patel, Sneha Dubey, Namita Mundada and Sana Malik, had participated in the high-decibel debate.