Rajkot: In a heart-wrenching incident, a 6-year-old boy was killed by a group of stray dogs while playing near his home in the Shapar area of Rajkot. This is the second fatal dog attack involving a child in Gujarat within a month.
The victim, Ayush Yadav, belonged to a migrant laborer family from Patna, Bihar. His family had recently moved to Rajkot for work and were living in a room near a local factory. On the evening of May 30, Ayush was playing close to home when a pack of 4 to 5 stray dogs suddenly attacked him. The dogs mauled him severely, biting him across his entire body, from head to toe.
Hearing his screams, family members and nearby residents rushed to the scene. They tried to save the child and immediately arranged to take him to Rajkot Civil Hospital. Unfortunately, Ayush succumbed to his injuries on the way and was declared dead before receiving any medical treatment. His body has been sent for post-mortem examination.
Ayush was the younger of two siblings. The boy’s mother, Arohi Yadav, recounted the incident through tears, “My son was just playing near our home when suddenly a pack of dogs appeared. They dragged him away and started biting him all over. A passerby saw the attack and tried to chase the dogs away. He then informed me. I rushed out and found my son covered in blood, barely breathing. I begged people to take him to the hospital, but they insisted we call an ambulance. We did, but it took time to arrive, and my son died before help could reach.”
This tragic case comes just weeks after a 4-month-old infant was killed by a pet dog in Ahmedabad, sparking renewed concerns over stray dog populations and public safety in Gujarat. The loss has plunged the Yadav family into deep grief, highlighting once again the urgent need for action to prevent such horrific incidents.