Ludhiana: A five-year-old boy is recovering in the hospital after being mauled by a pack of stray dogs outside his home on Sunday, the latest in a surging wave of canine attacks gripping the region.The victim, Navnoor Singh, was standing at the entrance of his house in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Colony on Amloh Road when he was ambushed suddenly by four to five dogs. His father, Jaswinder Singh, said the animals knocked the child to the ground and bit him repeatedly on the back of his head. Members of the boy’s family rushed to the scene after hearing the boy’s screams and managed to drive the pack away.Navnoor was transported to the Khanna Govt Hospital, where senior medical officer (SMO) Dr Maninder Bhasin confirmed that emergency treatment had been initiated. While the child is stable currently, the incident has reignited local fears regarding a stray dog population that appears increasingly aggressive.Data from the Khanna Govt Hospital paints a grim picture of a public health system under siege. Dog bite cases have climbed steadily over the last four years, jumping from 2,313 in 2022 to a record 4,061 cases in 2025. This represents a nearly 75 percent increase in reported attacks within the municipality.The crisis reached a peak in early Oct last year when the hospital recorded 29 bite cases in just 48 hours, with children being the primary targets. Similarly, in Sept 2025, a single ward reported 14 fresh attacks in a single day. Despite the rising tally of victims, residents say the threat remains unaddressed, leaving neighbourhoods like Shaheed Bhagat Singh Colony in a state of constant vigil.
