Shimla, May 13,
Public outrage is mounting in Shimla after a second major dog bite incident within 48 hours left a tourist from Noida seriously injured. The attack occurred Monday evening around 4:45 PM near Naaz Chowk on the city’s bustling Mall Road, a popular spot for visitors. The victim, who had come with his family to escape the searing heat of the plains, was suddenly bitten by a stray dog resting near the footpath.
The dog tore into the tourist’s leg, leaving deep wounds and causing heavy bleeding. The man collapsed on the road in shock. Bystanders, including former municipal councillor Sanjeev Sood, responded quickly, calling 108 ambulance services. The tourist was rushed to Deen Dayal Upadhyay (DDU) Hospital where he received medical treatment.
This latest attack comes on the heels of a Sunday incident in Dhalli, where three children were bitten by stray dogs, one of whom had to be hospitalized at Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC). The twin incidents have stirred fresh protests from citizens and political leaders, who accuse the Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC) of ignoring repeated warnings about the growing menace of stray dogs and monkeys in urban areas.
Social worker Karamchand Bhatia, whose 8-year-old son Aditya was bitten by a stray dog while going to school earlier this week, staged a dharna outside the Mayor’s office. He called for immediate removal of aggressive strays from public places.
SMC Health Officer Dr. Chetan Chauhan confirmed that around 15 cases of dog and monkey bites were reported last month in the city. “We have issued a notification to the Municipal Commissioner to remove stray dogs that are injuring people,” he said, adding that sterilization and vaccination drives are being conducted regularly under the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme.
Despite these efforts, citizens remain unconvinced. Animal protection laws prohibit the relocation or euthanasia of stray dogs unless they are terminally ill, leaving civic bodies with few effective tools to address the threat.
With the tourist season peaking, both residents and visitors are expressing concerns about safety in public spaces. Unless urgent policy changes are introduced to manage dangerous stray animals, Shimla risks damaging its image as a family-friendly hill station.
