Stray dog attacks continue in Kerala, at least 20 people injured in Perumbavoor in a single day

15 of the injured have been referred to medical college Kalamassery.

news Stray Dog Menace

A dog reportedly rabid on Friday evening, at around four, went on a biting spree at Perumbavoor in Ernakulam injuring at least 20 people.

Local residents killed the dog before police reached the spot.

The dog also attacked students who were returning from school.

Residents sustained severe injuries in the dog attack, reports Times of India.

Among the 20 people, around 15 were referred to medical college Kalamassery while the rest of the people have been admitted in a local hospital.

Some of the injured are Bineesh, a native of Cherthala, Shivadasan a native of Peramangalam, Leela of Mudickal and Jibin, a native of Edavoor.

The reports quotes Ramesh, a resident in Perumbavoor, as saying, "The dog went on a rampage. Even a child walking by the road was attacked."

"Dog catchers bring six to eight dogs per day to sterilise. They find it difficult to get dogs which are not sterilised. It is estimated that there are around 6,000 to 8,000 street dogs in the corporation limit," the reports quotes veterinary Dr Kishorekumar KJ as saying.

The animal birth control programme being carried out by the Kochi Corporation, since May 2015 has so far sterilised 3,200 dogs.

There have been a string of stray dog attacks in Kerala since last year.

It was in April this year that an 85-year-old man was mauled to death by stray dogs at Attingal in Thiruvananthapuram.

In October 2016, a 90-year-old man at Varkala, Thiruvananthapuram died after he was mauled by dogs when he was sleeping on the verandah of his house.

A two year old child Devanandan sustained severe injuries after being attacked by a stray dog at his home in September 2016.

In August the same year, a 65-year-old woman from Kanjiramkulam in Thiruvananthapuram was killed after she was attacked by a large pack of stray dogs.