Shimla: The stray dog menace in Shimla has taken a dangerous turn, with a two-year-old child being attacked and dragged nearly 25 metres by a stray dog from the courtyard of her home in Shankli.
The incident has put the Shimla Municipal Corporation’s handling of the city’s growing stray dog problem under renewed scrutiny.
The child sustained serious injuries to her head, back and other parts of the body and is undergoing treatment at Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital (IGMC). Local residents reportedly rescued her after raising an alarm.
BJP state media convenor Karn Nanda visited IGMC and met the child’s family, describing the incident as deeply concerning and calling for immediate measures to prevent similar attacks.
The attack has raised questions over the civic body’s response to complaints about aggressive stray dogs. Published reports have put Shimla’s stray dog population at more than 3,500, with over 100 dogs reportedly identified as aggressive.
The problem is increasingly affecting daily life across the city. Schoolchildren and teachers face a hazardous walk to and from schools as packs of stray dogs are seen swarming streets in several wards, raising concerns over attacks, particularly during early morning and afternoon hours.
The Municipal Corporation now faces questions over what action has been taken against dogs already identified as dangerous, how many complaints have been received from different wards, and whether previous complaints in vulnerable areas were acted upon.
The Shankli incident is particularly disturbing because the child was attacked within the premises of her own home. It highlights the need for the civic body to identify vulnerable residential pockets and areas around schools, anganwadi centres and hospitals where children are particularly exposed.
A comprehensive response would require stronger sterilisation and anti-rabies vaccination programmes, trained teams to respond to complaints involving aggressive animals, and a dedicated mechanism for residents to report such cases. Dogs suspected of rabies or displaying dangerous behaviour should be dealt with under applicable law and veterinary supervision.
Poor waste management is another factor requiring attention. Open garbage and food waste can attract packs of stray dogs, making effective collection and disposal an important part of any long-term solution.
The circumstances surrounding the Shankli attack should also be examined, including whether complaints about stray dogs had previously been received from the area and what action was taken.
The incident has placed the Shimla Municipal Corporation under pressure to move beyond ad-hoc measures and produce a clear, time-bound strategy to address the stray dog menace. For residents, particularly families with young children, the issue is no longer simply about managing stray dogs—it is about ensuring basic safety on the streets and in residential neighbourhoods.
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