A five-year-old girl suffered deep wounds to her head, neck and face after seven stray dogs attacked her in Mhetre Vasti, Pimpri-Chinchwad, on Sunday afternoon. The attack, captured on CCTV, has raised concerns over children’s safety in residential areas.
The child, identified as Hansika Mishra, was playing outside her home when the dogs began chasing her. Two knocked her down and attacked her before five others joined in. Residents rushed to the spot after hearing her cries and drove the dogs away.
She was initially taken to the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC)-run Akurdi hospital and later referred to Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital (YCMH).
According to YCMH’s animal-bite case report, Hansika sustained multiple Category III dog bites. The attack took place at Chikhali around 1 pm on August 9 and involved stray dogs whose vaccination status was unknown. The bite was described as unprovoked, hospital officials said.
Giridhar Mishra, father of the girl, said, “I have two daughters. When the incident happened, my wife was busy looking after our younger daughter, while my elder daughter had gone outside to play. Suddenly, a couple of stray dogs attacked her, and within moments, several more joined in. They dragged her to the ground and bit her repeatedly across her body. She suffered serious injuries to her head, thighs and hand. She received 85 stitches on her head, 25 stitches on her leg and several stitches on her hand,” he said.
He further added, “The stray dog menace has become a serious problem in our area. Residents are unable to walk freely, and even children can no longer step outside to play without fear. We are constantly worried about their safety.”
{{/usCountry}}He further added, “The stray dog menace has become a serious problem in our area. Residents are unable to walk freely, and even children can no longer step outside to play without fear. We are constantly worried about their safety.”
{{/usCountry}}Doctors said she suffered multiple injuries to her head, neck and face, including deep wounds. Her medical record showed no previous history of anti-rabies vaccination.
Dr Rajendra Wabale, dean of PGI-YCMH, said, “We administered anti-rabies vaccine (ARV) and anti-rabies serum (ARS) to the girl. Her clinical condition was monitored, and she was discharged on Sunday evening. She has been advised to complete the remaining doses of the anti-rabies vaccine as per the schedule.”
PCMC’s veterinary department deployed two vehicles on Sunday to catch the dogs, but none was captured that day.
“There is a large ground belonging to the defence establishment in the area where the dogs usually hide. We deployed two vehicles on Sunday, but could not catch a single dog. Since Monday morning, however, seven dogs have been caught and taken to the dog pound. They will be vaccinated and sterilised and kept under observation,” said Arun Dagade, head of the PCMC veterinary department.
The incident has alarmed residents, particularly families with young children, who said stray dogs in open spaces have made it difficult for children to play safely.
Pune city has also recorded a sharp rise in reported cases of stray dog bites, according to data from the PMC Veterinary Department. Cases rose from 22,945 in 2023 to 25,899 in 2024 and 30,613 in 2025. The city recorded 19,916 cases in the first six months of 2026.