11-year-old girl seriously injured in stray dog attack in Ambernath (Thane district) !

Ambernath, Maharashtra – A dog attack that left a 10-year-old girl badly mauled and hospitalised in the Vandrapada area of Ambernath West has triggered public protests, with a local corporator vowing to put municipal officials “in a net” if they failed to capture the animal at the earliest.

Monday’s attack on Vanshika Nagar was captured on CCTV cameras, with the girl screaming to extricate herself from the stray’s jaws. Angry local residents claimed that the dog had bitten several others in recent days.

Vanshika was walking home with her brother when the stray lunged at her and latched on to her hand. Her screams for help brought passers-by running and they freed her from the animal’s grip. Vanshika was taken to the Central Hospital in Ulhasnagar, where doctors described her condition as serious.

“Her shoulder is injured badly,” said local resident Shilpa Shinde.

Delayed response by Ambernath Municipality

Taking note of the incident, the health department of Ambernath Municipality took immediate action and captured 18 stray dogs from the area. They were sent to a centre for sterilization and vaccination.

Shiv Sena corporator protests with dog-catching net

Local Shiv Sena corporator Vikas Someshwar staged a unique protest at the municipal office. He entered carrying a net used for catching dogs and criticized the administration’s negligence. He said, “To make officials realize their responsibility, the time has come to catch health department officials in such nets and send them to the centre.”

Process underway to build 2 shelters for dogs

As a permanent solution to the stray dog problem in the city, the process has begun to construct two dog shelters, each with a capacity of around 1,200 dogs. The required land for these shelters has already been identified.