Abid Hussain in Sector 7, Panchkula. (Express Photo) Abid Hussain in Sector 7, Panchkula. (Express Photo)

(Written by Pallavi Singhal)

In another case of stray dog attack, Abid Hussain, a resident of Surajpur, old Panchkula, who owns a small watch repair shop at Sector 7 market, was attacked by several dogs and bit by one on Wednesday evening.

Recounting the incident, Abid said, “I had gone to another shop. On my return, I saw a man feeding a few dogs. As I moved past them, at least four-five dogs attacked me and one of them bit my leg not once, but many times. I then went to hospital for treatment but there were no anti-rabies vaccine (ARV) injections there. I am in a lot of pain and doctor has suggested rest, but I can’t afford that. I have two children and a wife, all of whom depend on me.”

Since Abid cannot afford any more of these injections, his fellow shopkeepers came forward to bear his medical expenses.

Deepkrishan Chauhan, president, Market Sector 7, says, “We can’t touch these dogs as they can bite us. Abid first suffered the trauma and pain of dog attacks and now he has to chose between earning a livelihood or resting. There is a large number of stray dogs. They start running after cars and after people on scooters and bikes. The menace has increased over time. MC should look into the matter and do something about these dogs.”

S K Nayar, president of Citizen’s Welfare Association, Panchkula, asserts that the whole city has a huge stray dog and cattle problem. He receives a lot of complaints on a daily basis. “I fail to understand what will make the authorities look into the matter. Even after several complaints and the rising cases, nobody seems bothered,” Nayar said.

The residents of Sector 2 have complained several times to the district administration and municipal body. “Residents can’t even go for morning or evening strolls. Children can’t play freely. We did not settle in the city to be attacked by stray dogs,” said P S Sangha, president, Residents Welfare Society, Sector 2. The ARV injections that are required at least four times after a dog bite have not been available in the Civil Hospital, Panchkula, for 18 days now.

Commenting on the incident, MC Commissioner Rajesh Jogpal said, “It is sad. We are doing the best we can.”

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