E-Paper
Patiala: Pitbull mauls couple out to view rental property
The CCTV clip shows the dog rushing out of the gate and attacking the couple, while the property dealer and nearby residents made frantic efforts, including beating the dog with sticks, to fend it off
A couple suffered multiple injuries after they were attacked by a pitbull dog on Tuesday evening in the Ghuman Nagar area, with the CCTV footage of the incident going viral on social media.
The incident took place when Ankit Sabharwal and his wife Shifali, residents of Patiala, had gone to the area along with a property dealer to inspect a house they were planning to rent.
The CCTV clip shows the dog rushing out of the gate and attacking the couple, while the property dealer and nearby residents made frantic efforts, including beating the dog with sticks, to fend it off. In between, a woman emerged from the house with a stick but failed to control the dog.
The dog first attacked Shifali, mauling her arm, and later bit Ankit when he tried to save his wife.
The couple is currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital. According to Ankit, the dog attacked as soon as the gate was opened.
“We had gone to inspect the property we were planning to rent. Suddenly, the dog came out and attacked us. My wife suffered multiple injuries and had to undergo surgery. She is still undergoing treatment at the hospital,” Ankit said.
Ankit also sustained deep bite wounds on his legs and back.
Commenting on the incident, Patiala mayor Kundan Gogia said that keeping aggressive dog breeds as pets would be banned in the city.
He said the matter would be discussed at a municipal corporation House meeting and a special resolution would be considered in this regard.
Patiala municipal corporation commissioner Pooja Grewal said that pitbulls, considered among the more ferocious breeds, cannot be kept as pets under the rules. “It is very unfortunate. Our teams have already approached the victims. We are checking all the records and will also take action in the matter,” she said.
Meanwhile, Patiala police said they were in the process of registering an FIR against the dog owner under Section 291(negligent conduct with respect to an animal) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) after recording the statements of the victims.
Punjab has witnessed a sharp rise in dog bite cases. From 1.10 lakh cases in 2020, the state reported a staggering 3.34 lakh dog bite cases in 2025 — the highest ever recorded in a single year.
