Stray dog menace continues to haunt New Amritsar residents; bank staffer bitten by dog

Despite the ongoing debate over the Supreme Court’s directions to round up stray dogs and shift them to shelters, attacks by canines continue to haunt city residents. The latest victim of dog bite is a bank employee from B-Block of New Amritsar, who was bitten on August 14.

Victim Jatinderpal Singh said he was returning home from the market on his bike when three dogs began chasing him. “The dogs chase every vehicle. I did not realise that they were following me till I reached my house. The moment I got off the bike, one of them pounced on me and bit my left leg. It was a traumatic experience,” he recalled.

Jatinderpal Singh said he later visited Guru Ramdas Hospital where he was administered anti-rabies injections. “I have heard about compensation in dog bite cases, but I am not aware of where to file the complaint. The entire process is too complicated. The government should simplify it by setting up a help desk in government hospitals where patients come for anti-rabies treatment,” he suggested.

Residents allege that stray dogs in the locality have become a constant source of fear, especially for children and elderly persons. They claim that dog lovers regularly feed these canines and there are certain streets in the area where 15-20 stray dogs roam freely.

“The sterilisation project, launched years ago to control the stray dog population, has failed to yield any results,” said Lakhbir Singh Chuhan, another resident. He said the Supreme Court’s recent directive to shift stray dogs from Delhi to shelters outside the city should also be implemented in Amritsar.

The residents demanded immediate action from the authorities, stressing that the menace of stray dogs should be addressed before more people fall victim to such attacks.