The municipal corporation here has directed the owner of a Pitbull to shift the dog outside city limits after a video showing it attacking a woman in Jhansi’s Masiha Ganj area surfaced online.
The undated clip, which went viral on Friday, purportedly shows the dog rushing out of a house and biting a woman while bystanders, including the alleged owner, try to free her. The attack continued for nearly one and a half minutes before the victim was rescued.
The incident took place on August 31. The dog’s owner, retired railway official MK Chaube, had kept the pet for several years. The attack occurred when his wife, Rekha, visited her neighbour Hemlata’s house to give food, during which the dog suddenly leapt and caught Hemlata’s hand.
Municipal animal welfare officer Dr Raghavendra Singh said the matter was taken up suo motu despite no official complaint. The dog was taken to the animal birth control centre, and an affidavit was obtained from the owner to relocate it to their farmhouse outside Jhansi.
“Following the guidelines of the Animal Welfare Board of India, we do not register animals showing suspected behaviour that may pose a threat,” Singh said.
{{/usCountry}}“Following the guidelines of the Animal Welfare Board of India, we do not register animals showing suspected behaviour that may pose a threat,” Singh said.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, a separate video shows Hemlata stating that she has no objection against the dog and suffered only minor scratches for which she received injections.
In March 2024, the Centre directed states to ban the sale and breeding of 23 ferocious dog breeds, including Pitbull Terriers, American Bulldogs, Rottweilers and Mastiffs, following a surge in dog attack cases. The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying also asked states to sterilise such breeds already kept as pets to prevent further breeding.