A five-year-old girl sustained severe injuries to her head after two dogs attacked her at the MOP park in Thousand Lights, Chennai, on Sunday, May 5. The two dogs were rottweilers (classified as an aggressive dog) and they were let loose by the owners leading to the attack. The five-year-old girl’s mother has also sustained injuries.

Sudaksha, the daughter of a security guard, suffered serious injuries to her head and leg during the attack and has been admitted to a private hospital in Chennai. Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner J Radhakrishnan told the media that Sudaksha requires a plastic surgery and that the surgery is scheduled for Thursday, May 9, provided her condition stabilises. 

According to the details, the residents heard her cries for help and intervened to rescue her from the Rottweiler dogs, which were let loose by their owner. Despite the attack, the owner allegedly did not intervene until bystanders rushed to her aid and raised an alarm. Sudaksha was immediately taken to a hospital where she is currently receiving treatment.

The Thousand Lights police have registered a case and arrested a couple – Pugalendi and Dhanalakshmi – along with their son Venkateswaran for negligence and endangering the lives of others.

In March, the Union government directed states to prohibit the sale and breeding of 23 breeds of aggressive dogs, including Pitbull Terrier, American Bulldog, Rottweiler, and Mastiffs. The directive also mandated the sterilisation of existing pets belonging to these breeds. The Animal Husbandry Ministry said that no licences or permissions should be granted for the sale, breeding, or possession of pit bulls and other dangerous breeds that “pose a threat to human life”.