Mysuru, 7 Dec

A rabid dog attacked seven including three elderly women at Yelandur town in Chamarajanagar district on Saturday.

The dog attacked them near the bus stand at Canara Bank Circle in the town.

The dog initially attacked an elderly woman, Chowdamma of Yelandur town, who was returning home from the provision store, and then targeted another two elderly women, Lakshmamma of YK Mole and Rathnamma of K Devarahalli, while they were waiting for a bus.

The elderly women suffered wounds on their face, on their forehead, deep cuts in their hands and legs. All the victims were rushed to Yelandur town general hospital and their condition was stable.

Residents of the Yelandur town demanded the taluk administration to control the stray dog menace.

CHALLEGNGE FOR DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION

Chamarajanagar district reported 1,568 dog bite cases from January to June this year, compared to 3,268 cases last year, officials said.

The stray dog menace is a growing challenge for urban municipal authorities. The City Municipal Council floated a tender three times under the animal birth control programme, but no NGO came forward.

According to taluk-wise reports, Chamarajanagar taluk reported 481 dog bite cases this year until June, Gundlupet reported 234, Hanur 236, Kollegal 617, and Yelandur 18 cases. Stray dogs have also killed 43 livestock, including goats, sheep and calves, in Chamarajanagar district over the past four months.

Although the State and Union governments have issued directions to civic bodies and local and district administrations to initiate regular measures to hold mass dog vaccinations and other measures to achieve rabies-free status, the Chamarajanagar local administration failed to undertake both mass dog vaccination and sterilisation in recent years, locals alleged. 

This has resulted in an increasing population of dogs as well as a stray dog menace and dog bite cases in the district. Without vaccination and sterilisation, the stray dog population and associated risk of rabies continued to grow. 

Speaking to Salar, Chamarajanagar Deputy Director of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences Manjunath said that the department compensated livestock owners for sheep, goats and calves killed by dog attacks across the district.