Woman killed by canines; CM promises steps to end stray dog

menace Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 20 (PTI) After a 65-year-oldwoman become the latest victim of the stray dog menace inKerala, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan today assured thatnecessary steps would be taken to end such canine attacks. Siluvamma, a local resident, was attacked by a large packof dogs on the Pulluvila beach at nearby Kanjiramkulam lastnight and succumbed to injuries while being rushed to ahospital. The dogs also attacked the local people who tried torescue the woman, her family said. In a separate incident, another native of Pulluvila,Daisy, was also attacked and severely injured by stray dogslast night. These incidents triggered an outrage in the area. Reacting to the incidents, Vijayan said stray dog menacehad increased in several parts of the state. In a brief statement tonight, he said the concern andfear of the people over the street dog issue would beresolved. Siluvamma’s son Selvan, who was also attacked by the dogswhile he was trying to rescue his mother, escaped by jumpinginto the sea. "My mother went to the beach in the night. As she did notreturn, I went out searching for her. What I saw was shocking.She was being attacked by over 100 stray dogs. She wasbleeding," Selvan told reporters later. In the second incident, 52-year-old Daisy said she wasattacked by a pack of dogs when she went out of the house ataround 11.30 PM. She was rushed to the government medical college here andgiven a shot of anti-rabies vaccination. Medical college hospital sources said though she hadinjuries on her hands and legs, her condition was stable. Shewas shifted to Pulluvila primary healthcare centre for furthertreatment in the morning, they added. Stray dogs have been posing a grave threat to theresidents, especially women, children and the elderly incoastal stretches, including Pulluvila, for some time. The issue has been a point of debate for the last few yearsafter increase in incidents of stray dog attacks and it wasalso raised in the Assembly earlier this year. According to a report submitted in the Supreme Courtrecently in a connected case, more than one lakh people inKerala have been bitten by dogs in 2015-16. The report was submitted by a committee appointed by theapex court to look into the aspect of treatment of peoplebitten by stray dogs and claims of compensation in the state. The report also said Kerala is estimated to have straydog population of 2.5 lakh, which feed lavishly on the wasteand garbage dumps across cities and towns. PTI LGK JRK VSSMN