Domestic workers protest over stray dog bites at Greater Noida society

Police said they had not received any complaint about a dog attack, but have asked the RWA to find a solution to the problem

Greater Noida: Domestic workers at Lotus Villa Society in Greater Noida’s Jalpura area protested on Sunday morning after a worker was allegedly attacked by a stray dog inside the society on Saturday.

The protest disrupted household work as no worker reported for duty on Sunday morning. While some resumed work later, others did not, said residents. (HT Photo)

The protest disrupted household work as no worker reported for duty on Sunday morning. While some resumed work later, others did not, said residents.

“One of the domestic workers was attacked by a stray dog inside the society on Saturday. They said they did not feel safe working here if stray dogs continued to roam freely,” said Dinesh Kumar, a resident.

RWA members said the society does not have designated feeding points for stray dogs.

“We have no bylaws that prohibit stray dogs inside the society. It is a small society with around 512 homes, so we have not designated feeding points yet,” said Durga Prasad, general secretary of the RWA.

The RWA said this is the second such incident in the last 10-15 days. It also said that there have been previous attacks on domestic workers and delivery personnel. “We have collected the names of around 20 domestic workers who joined the protest. We heard their concerns and are discussing the matter. We will take whatever legal steps are available,” Prasad said.

Residents said police visited the society and dispersed the gathering. Some residents who feed stray dogs said they supported measures to improve safety but opposed harming the animals.

“We think there should be designated feeding points in the society. These are living beings and they get hungry. We also agree that dogs which attack people should be handled properly, but the dogs we feed have never attacked anyone,” said a resident.

The domestic worker who was allegedly attacked said she has started anti-rabies treatment. “At around 9 pm, a dog attacked me. I have been working in this society for two years and have been attacked before as well,” she said, requesting anonymity.

Police said they had not received any complaint about a dog attack. “There was no reported dog attack. However, domestic workers told us they did not want to work in a society where stray dogs are present because it makes them feel unsafe. We have asked the RWA to work towards a solution so that both residents and workers feel safe,” said Ranjit Singh, station house officer of Ecotech III police station.