‘Goosebumps’: How pack of stray dogs saved newborn left abandoned outside washroom in Bengal

Residents said the newborn had been left on the ground outside a washroom with no cloth or note in Bengal's Nabadwip.

A newborn baby who was left abandoned in Nabadwip, West Bengal, was guarded by a group of stray dogs through the cold night. The infant was reportedly found in a railway workers’ colony in Nadia district.

Several stray dogs had formed a circle around the newborn and stayed there until morning.(HT FILE PHOTO)

Residents said the baby had been left on the ground outside a washroom with no cloth or note, according to PTI news agency. Locals later told police that several stray dogs had formed a circle around the newborn and stayed there until morning.

‘Gossebumps’

"Waking up, we saw something that still gives us goosebumps," Sukla Mondal, a resident who was among the first to spot the baby, told PTI. "The dogs were not aggressive. They looked… alert, as if they understood the child was fighting to live," she said.

Another resident, Subhash Pal, recalled hearing a short, sharp cry around dawn.

"I thought some family had a sick baby. I never imagined a newborn was lying outside with dogs watching over. They behaved like sentries," he said.

A resident wrapped the infant in her dupatta and alerted neighbours. The child was taken to Maheshganj Hospital and later shifted to Krishnanagar Sadar Hospital. Doctors confirmed the baby had no injuries and stated that the blood found on the head appeared to be from birth.

Police have begun an investigation and suspect someone from the locality may have left the baby. Child welfare authorities have started procedures for the infant’s long-term care.

Residents said they were shocked that the same stray dogs often chased away by locals had protected the child until help arrived. Several people were later seen feeding the dogs in appreciation.

Authorities are continuing inquiries to identify the person responsible for abandoning the newborn.

(With PTI Inputs)