1 girl vs 10 dogs: CCTV captures stays attacking 9-year-old in Dombivli society

KALYAN: A nine-year-old girl headed for school was chased and attacked by a pack of about 10 stray dogs within the premises of her housing society in an upscale township in Dombivli’s Khoni on Monday. A security guard rushed to her rescue and drove the dogs away with a stick. While the girl didn’t suffer physical injuries, a father said she was severely traumatised.Locals said they reached out to Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) seeking help with sterilising strays but were told that the area—Palava township—falls under Khoni gram panchayat, which lacks proper dog sterilisation facilities.The girl, Swara Nikam, stepped out of her house around 7am to go to school.

While walking through the premises of Orchid Society, she was set upon by a stray dog, showed CCTV footage. As she backed away, more dogs surrounded her. The frightened girl began to run, which made the dogs chase her.Hearing her cries for help, the housing society’s security guard, Vikas Pandey, rushed to the spot as did some residents who were on their morning walk. Pandey chased the dogs away with a stick, allowing the girl to escape.

The attack sparked anger and fear among residents. They said the population of stray dogs has gone up to about 150 in the locality. The girl’s father, Dattatraya Nikam, alleged that feeding of dogs at unauthorised spots within the housing society was responsible for this sharp rise. Pandey said stray dogs had attacked others in the past too.While locals sought that the administration implement a mechanism to control their population, a local, Mahesh Thombre, said KDMC passed the buck, saying the area wasn’t under its jurisdiction.