Ferozepur, September 9, 2026 (Vikram Ditya Sharma)
A stray dog attack on a two-year-old boy in the Ferozepur cantonment area has once again highlighted the growing menace of stray dogs, prompting residents to seek urgent administrative intervention and the Cantonment Board to launch a dog-catching drive.
Residents and representatives of various social organisations met Deputy Commissioner Deepshikha Sharma on Wednesday and urged her to take effective measures to prevent such incidents. They said packs of stray dogs roaming residential areas had become a serious concern, particularly for children and elderly people.
Raghav, 2, son of Kapil Bansal, was attacked by a stray dog while playing outside his house in Street No. 1 on Tuesday evening. According to his family, the dog mauled the child for nearly 10 minutes before residents managed to rescue him.
Raghav suffered serious injuries to his face and remains admitted to a private hospital. His father said the child would undergo surgery to prevent infection in the wounds.
The attack, which was captured on CCTV, has heightened concern among residents. They demanded a sustained campaign to catch stray dogs, along with sterilisation measures and proper arrangements for their shelter.
Following the complaint, the administration deputed SDM Abhishek Sharma to look into the matter and assured the victim’s family of all possible assistance. Officials also assured residents that steps would be taken to control the stray dog population and establish a shelter.
Meanwhile, the Cantonment Board conducted a dog-catching drive on Wednesday morning.
Sanitary Superintendent Abhishek Pandey said such drives were conducted periodically but alleged that some dog lovers created hurdles. He appealed to residents not to feed stray dogs on streets and in residential areas, saying this led to dogs congregating at such locations.
He also said a sterilisation drive was currently under way.
Residents Girjesh Aggarwal, Raj Kumar, Deepak Aggarwal, Anuj Goyal, Gagandeep Aggarwal, Ashish Singal and Sushil Gupta demanded sustained action from the authorities, saying the attack on Raghav should serve as a warning and prompt concrete measures to address the stray dog problem.
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