BAHAWALNAGAR: A newborn was mauled by stray dogs and later rescued by a police team here on Wednesday at Minchinabad.

Police said the infant was found lying on the roadside near Chungi No. 4 and was being attacked by stray dogs. Passers-by attempted to drive the dogs away but failed, prompting them to call the police helpline (15).

A police team arrived, rescued the child from the dogs and rushed him to Minchinabad THQ Hospital.

According to police, one of the newborn’s arms had been severely injured. The child also sustained deep wounds on other parts of the body.

The THQ Hospital sources confirmed that the infant was in a critical condition and was being transferred to DHQ Hospital.

Police suspect that the child may belong to a gypsy family living by the roadside and could have been dragged from a hut by the animals, as drag marks were visible on the baby’s body.

The police are questioning gypsy families in the area, and if the family is identified, the child will be handed over to them.

It is pertinent to mention here that this is the second incident in two days in which children have been attacked by stray dogs. On Dec 24, a six-year-old child was seriously injured by dogs in Mandi Sadiqganj’s Mohallah Nizampura.

Locals have complained that no steps have been taken by the tehsil and district municipal committees to remove the stray dogs.

Published in Dawn, December 26th, 2024