l Pet owners may claim their dogs are docile and vouchsafe for them to never bite, but a ferocious cur is a ferocious cur.
It reminds me of a story written by the famous author Ashapurna Devi “Kichhu korbe na kichhu kore na”, that was published some 48 years ago in the puja edition of a well-known children’s magazine.
Debraj Sengupta
FE Block
l On March 2, my daughter was returning from City Centre, when, in one of the lanes of our block, two street dogs chased her and bit her right ankle mercilessly.
Neighbours helped her out and we had to take her to Infectious Diseases & Beleghata General Hospital, where she received seven shots of different injections and three more are pending.
The girl is still unable to walk. She is still in trauma and fears stepping out of home.
I want to alert fellow citizens and the administration about some irresponsible persons who feed dogs in front of their houses. The dogs make those lanes their homes, eating and defacating there and chasing and biting anyone walking by.
Residents should stop feeding stray dogs. If someone wants to feed them, they must adopt the dog through and through, and keep them indoors.
When I shared my daughter’s trauma on our block's WhatsApp group, I learnt that street dogs have been harassing people in every lane. I am a dog-lover and have had two Dobermanns before. But I know how to treat them and take on their responsibilities. So should others.
I request the Corporation to instruct residents accordingly, take account of the dogs and devise a plan to curb this menace.
Mahasweta Sil
AB Block
l I was attacked by three street dogs once. They had suddenly jumped on me and tried to pull my trousers. I fell and they tore into my left leg badly. Neither had I disturbed nor hurt them and they had attacked all of a sudden.
Residents must strictly stop feeding strays as till they do so, the dogs won’t move out of the lanes. Once someone feeds them regularly they start protecting only them and target passersby.
It has become difficult to walk in our lanes for fear of street dogs. The Corporation should take steps against them and start medical assessments to ascertain why they are biting unnecessarily.
Aishani Sil
AB Block
l Stray dogs are a menace. They are often not vaccinated and some are even rabid. This creates a problem for residents returning home at night through dimly lit streets. The dogs bark for no apparent reason, and while some can ignore them and move on, others get frightened and start running, which further triggers the dogs to give chase and bite.
Some block committees try to take action against these dogs, but then certain animal-loving residents pop up and claim the dogs as their pets. What sort of pets are these that are allowed to roam freely in the streets? These residents do not train the dogs not to attack, which would benefit a large group of people. They only provide them food and shelter which, too, in most cases is an open space under a shed.
I hope my words reach the authorities and that corrective action is taken.
Priyanshu Sanyal,
BL Block
l There have always been too many stray dogs in Salt Lake and it is high time action is taken.
Dog-lovers feed them and this has made them permanent residents of the streets. Naturally, they tend only to protect the people who feed them and attack passers-by. This is not acceptable.
I understand the sentiments of dog-lovers but if they can feed and love them, they should also provide shelter or keep them indoors. They should train and vaccinate them as otherwise, not only are they a threat to passers-by, but they also spread diseases. I have seen many dogs wandering with open wounds.
Other countries have achieved zero strays on their streets. Many municipalities in the Netherlands have imposed taxes for store-bought pets, which made people prefer strays instead. So why aren't issues of street dogs prioritised in our country? What are we voting for if we do not feel safe in our own neighbourhoods?
It is becoming difficult and annoying for me to go out of the house alone. I feel helpless and request the authorities to take rapid action and remove the strays from the streets.
Ashmita Sil,
AB Block
lStray dogs are becoming a menace and many cases of dog bites are getting reported. Some residents feed these dogs, who become loyal to them, and chase others who do not offer them food.
Being an elderly person, I no longer feel comfortable going for morning walks amidst these dogs. I seek a solution to this.
Sasanka Dasgupta,
AB Block
l There has been a spurt in violent attacks by stray dogs in Salt Lake. The attacks are ghastly and one would be startled seeing the victim’s injuries later.
These incidents take place across blocks and should be addressed immediately by the authorities.
Dweeptaru Das,
Address not given
l There has been a recent surge of disturbances by street dogs in Salt Lake's AB Block.
Barnamoy Roy,
Address not given