Two incidents of children being attacked by pet dogs were reported on Saturday in two different places of the city.
In one incident, J. Gerald, 12, was attacked by two pet dogs in Kolathur Teachers’ Colony while walking on the road on Saturday evening. John Fedrix, the dogs’ owner, was taking his pets for a walk. The dogs, a Rottweiler and a Boxer, were not licensed or registered with the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC). The parents admitted Gerald to a private hospital in the area and lodged a complaint with the police.
The Puzhal police registered a case against John Fedrix under the Sections 289 (Negligent conduct with the animals) and 336 (Act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Indian Penal Code, the police said.
GCC Veterinary Officer J. Kamal Hussain said the dogs were rescued and were under observation at the Blue Cross shelter. “The boy’s condition is stable. The dogs’ regular veterinarian confirmed via phone call that both had been vaccinated. However, physical documents were not presented. The dogs will be under observation for 10 days to confirm their vaccination status,” he said.
“There are no provisions in the GCC rules for withholding the dogs permanently. If the owners obtain a license and registration before these 10 days, the dogs will be returned to the owner. Otherwise, action will be taken,” Mr. Hussain said.
In yet another case, a 16-year-old boy was bitten by a pet dog at K.K. Nagar on Saturday night. The police identified the victim as D. Anbarasu. On Saturday night, when he was walking on the street with his friend, his neighbour’s pet dog chased and bit him on the leg. He was taken to a nearby hospital and treated.
On the K.K. Nagar incident, Mr. Hussain said they received the information on Sunday, and that the inspection of the dog will be done on Monday. “The vaccination status of the dog, and its license details will be verified,” he said.
In May, a child playing at a GCC park was mauled by two Rottweilers. The pet dogs attacked the mother as well. The police arrested the owners and the civic body made it mandatory for all pet owners to obtain licence and get their pets vaccinated before taking them out in public places.