Ten people receive medical care after stray dog attack in Angamaly

Ten people were bitten by a stray dog near Old Market Road in Angamaly on Friday night and later sought medical treatment, according to municipal authorities. The incident occurred at about 8:30 p.m. on September 25.

Angamaly municipality vice-chairperson Wilson Mundadan said the victims suffered minor injuries. Lathika Rajan, a member of the municipality’s Health Standing Committee, said they received care at the Government Taluk Hospital in Aluva, Government Medical College in Ernakulam and a nearby private hospital. “No one has been badly hurt,” Rajan said, adding that all the victims left the hospitals after receiving primary medical care.

Municipal officials said the dog had been caught and was being kept in captivity under observation. Mundadan said the area had seen a rise in stray dogs because some residents abandoned pet dogs on the streets. He estimated that 600 to 700 stray dogs were present in the municipality.

He also referred to a similar incident a few months earlier in which a stray dog reportedly bit about 20 people. The municipality subsequently provided monetary compensation to those affected, he said. Mundadan said an anti-rabies vaccination drive had been conducted earlier this year.

However, the local body has not yet begun its Animal Birth Control Programme. He said the municipality lacked a facility to house dogs after sterilisation surgery and had asked for land near Angamaly Government Veterinary Hospital to build the necessary infrastructure. The requested land is under the Ernakulam District Panchayat.

The officials’ comments linked the immediate response to a broader municipal problem involving stray-dog management. The supplied report did not state whether the captured animal had been tested for rabies or describe any further action planned after the observation period.