A five-year-old girl has suffered serious injuries in an attack by two Rottweiler dogs at a park in Chennai last night, rekindling the debate over keeping dogs from aggressive breeds as pets. Police have registered a case of negligence and arrested the owner of the dogs. Two others who look after the dogs have been named accused in the case.
According to the investigators, the incident took place at a public park in Chennai’s Thousand Lights area. The owner, they said, had let the dogs loose. The dogs attacked the child and the owner, it is alleged, did not intervene till the girl’s parents rushed to save her and raised an alarm. The girl’s father works as a security guard at the park.
“We have arrested the owner and registered a case against two others who take care of the dogs,” said senior police officer Shekhar Deshmukh. A CCTV footage from the park captures the two dogs.
The five-year-old girl, identified as Sudaksha, is being treated at a private hospital. Police sources said the dog owner had not sterilised the Rottweilers.
The tragic incident comes at a time when attacks by pets from ferocious breeds have sparked a conversation on whether such animals should be kept as pets in residential neighbourhoods.
In March, the Centre asked states to ban the sale and breeding of 23 breeds of ferocious dogs, including Pitbull Terrier, American Bulldog, Rottweiler and Mastiffs. The directive added that those who already have these breeds as pets must sterilise them at once.
The Animal Husbandry Department said it has received representations from citizen forums and Animal Welfare Organisations to ban people from keeping some breeds as pets.
