An eight-year-old girl died after being mauled by a pack of dogs in Sitapur district, taking the toll to 14 in such fatal attacks by feral hounds in the last six months, police said.
The victim, Sonam, had gone to the fields with her father and cousins yesterday morning to attend nature's call when a pack of stray dogs attacked her, Station Officer (SO) of Khairabad police station, Sachin Singh, said.
She was bitten on her neck and thighs by the dogs before she was rescued by her father, Singh said, adding that the girl's cousins climbed a tree to save themselves.
The minor was rushed to the district hospital where she succumbed to injuries today, the SO added. She was a resident of Khairampur village.
With Sonam's death, eight children have killed by the stray dogs this month alone.
In a statement issued last night, Sitapur District Magistrate, Sheetal Verma, said that the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and Humane Society of India had confirmed that Sonam and others were attacked by feral dogs and not some wild animals like wolves.
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The statement said that a helpline had been setup, which the residents could call to give information about stray dogs.
Around 22 villages in Khairabad block of the district are affected by the dog menace. A total of 164 district officials have been tasked with spreading awareness in the affected areas about the stray canines and ways to protect children from them.
The administration was not facilitating dog killings and had instead taken measures to check their population in affected areas, the statement said.
"We have established an animal birth control clinic for dogs in Sitapur where canines from these areas are being sterilised," it said.
Residents have also been advised against allowing children to venture out alone to mango orchards, since it is where most of the attacks have taken place.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had visited Sitapur district last week and met families of children who had been attacked by the feral dogs.
He also met two injured children at the district hospital and stressed the need to launch a drive against the strays which had turned violent.