Ludhiana: A three-year-old girl is fighting to recover in the hospital after being brutally mauled by a stray dog in the Gobindgarh Jugiana area, the latest in a string of attacks that has left local residents fearing for their children’s lives.The victim, identified as Chandni, was playing outside her home late on Sunday evening when a stray dog reportedly knocked her to the ground and began tearing at her head and face. The child’s father, Chandan, was at work when he received a frantic call from his wife. “The children were playing outside when the dog suddenly attacked, pinning her down,” he said. Neighbours who heard the girl’s screams rushed to her rescue, but not before she had sustained severe injuries.Chandni was taken to the civil hospital in a “blood-soaked condition”, where medical staff worked through the night to stabilise her. Dr Mandeep Singh Rai, the emergency medical officer (EMO), confirmed the girl arrived with serious lacerations to her head and face. The child required more than 20 stitches to close her wounds. While her condition is now listed as stable in the surgery ward, Dr Rai has noted she had remains in deep shock following the trauma.The attack has ignited a wave of resentment against the municipal corporation and the health department. Residents claim the authorities have failed to manage the growing stray dog population or curb aggressive behavior in residential pockets. “We appeal to the authorities to capture these dogs and shift the aggressive ones to the city’s new shelter,” Chandan said, echoing the demands of his neighbours who call for prompt administrative action to ensure no other child is targeted.The incident follows a worrying trend in the region, with at least three other major attacks on children reported in just the last six weeks.
