Fatal Dog Attacks in India Prompt Growing Calls for Action Against Strays
The recent deaths of a company CEO and a number of children is heightening public anger in the country, where millions of stray dogs roam city streets.
While dogs have long roamed the streets of India, their population is growing quickly in cities as urbanization proceeds without policies to ameliorate the problem.
Photographer: Money Sharma/AFP/Getty Images
A spate of deadly dog attacks in India is prompting calls for authorities to address the country's growing stray problem.
In October, the head of a major tea company died at age 49 after he was attacked by stray dogs on a morning walk in the city of Ahmedabad. Parag Desai, executive director of Wagh Bakri Tea Group, reportedly died from head injuries sustained while running away from the dogs. Earlier this year, an 11-year-old boy in Kerala and a two-year-old in Gujarat died in attacks by stray dogs.
“Viral videos trigger discussions on social media,” said Anindita Bhadra, a researcher at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Kolkata, who studies dog behavior. “People want to see some action by governments now.”