Barabanki: 72-year-old man mauled to death by stray dogs he used to feed

He was rescued by the locals after they chased away the dogs and was brought to Lucknow for treatment, but he succumbed to injuries on Monday evening.

While similar incidents have not been reported in the area in the past, District Panchayat officials have been asked to conduct searches in all panchayats for stray and aggressive dogs.

Locals told officials that Rawat lived about 300 metres from the main village area in a hut amid the fields.

“The incident came to light on Sunday around 6 am, when villagers, while going to the fields, heard a cry for help. When they reached the spot, they found dogs hovering around an elderly man; some were biting him. They chased the dogs and rescued the man, who was first rushed to the local health centre and was later referred to Lucknow. He succumbed to his injuries on Monday,” informed Rajesh Vishkarma, Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Haidergarh, Barabanki.

He further said, “Locals told us that the man used to feed these dogs biscuits daily and would sleep on a cot outside his home. His body was found at a distance from the place where his cot was, suggesting that he may have been dragged there by the dogs.”

Officials said none of his family members were home when the incident took place.

Earlier this month, in the wake of the Supreme Court judgment revising its earlier order on stray-dog management, the Uttar Pradesh government had issued fresh guidelines for the management of stray dogs following an increase in incidents of dog bites and human-animal conflicts.

Local bodies were asked to prepare separate zones for feeding stray dogs, away from residential areas and also take steps to minimise man-animal conflict among other measures. However, officials said that it is difficult to control such incidents in rural areas, where dogs can easily escape into fields.

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