Jaipur, Aug 18 : In a shocking case of stray dog attack in Udaipur, a five-year-old boy was brutally attacked by a pack of canines in the city's Gautam Vihar Colony.

The incident, which happened on Sunday, was caught on CCTV -- the footage of which surfaced on Monday, sparking widespread outrage and panic in the locality.

The victim, Gauransh, son of local resident Dinesh Sahu, was riding a kids' scooter outside his house when several dogs surrounded him. In a matter of seconds, the dogs pounced on him, dragged him to the ground, and bit him on the stomach and leg.

Terrified by his screams, his mother Preeti rushed to the spot and bravely rescued her son by chasing away the dogs. The injured child was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.

The attack has left residents alarmed.

Locals claimed that despite repeated calls to the Animal Welfare authorities and organisations, no immediate assistance was received.

'This is not the first incident. Just two months ago, an 8-year-old boy was mauled by stray dogs in another locality of the city. His hands, legs, and waist were badly bitten. A year ago, a 5-year-old girl was attacked and bitten by dogs near Mastan Baba Dargah... she had lost her life,' a resident recalled.

The repeated attacks have triggered strong demands for urgent action. People have expressed anger that the authorities have failed to act, even after several horrifying incidents in the past.

It is worth mentioning that the Rajasthan High Court, taking serious note of the increasing cases of dog bites, had recently granted full powers to municipal corporations to capture stray dogs and shift them to shelter homes within eight weeks.

The court also ordered that FIRs should be filed against individuals or groups obstructing such operations.

According to the government data, Rajasthan reported over 3 lakh cases of dog bites in 2024 alone. This year too, incidents of dog and stray animal attacks are being reported continuously, raising serious questions about public safety and civic responsibility.

/IANS