Stray Dog Menace Under Scrutiny After Child’s Death in Uttar Pradesh

The death of an eight-year-old boy in a stray dog attack has once again drawn attention to the gaps in India’s approach to managing stray animals, even as a policy framework exists on paper.

Lavish, a Class 3 student , was mauled to death by a pack of stray dogs in the Fatehpur police station area on Monday evening. He had gone alone to a field on the outskirts of his village to collect wheat husk when the attack occurred. Family members rushed him to a nearby primary health centre after being alerted, but doctors declared him dead. Police have registered a complaint and sent the body for post-mortem. The incident has left residents shaken, with many claiming that stray dog attacks have become frequent despite repeated complaints to local authorities.

Across India, including Uttar Pradesh, authorities follow the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023 , which mandate a humane method of controlling stray dog populations. Under these rules, dogs are captured, sterilised, vaccinated against rabies, and released back into the same area, with the aim of gradually reducing their numbers while preventing disease spread. Cities such as Lucknow are often cited for implementing this approach more effectively.

However, legal restrictions prohibit mass culling or relocation of stray dogs, allowing only rabid or highly aggressive animals to be isolated. While vaccination drives and sterilisation programmes are carried out, their reach remains limited in many districts. Shortages of infrastructure, inadequate funding, and poor waste management continue to hinder effective control.

The Saharanpur incident has reignited concerns over public safety , particularly for children, and raised fresh questions about whether existing measures are being implemented with the urgency and scale required to prevent such tragedies.