Incident puts responsibilities of pet parents of big breeds in sharp focus at a time when animal lovers and other residents across city are at loggerheads
The series of screen grabs from the CCTV footage shows how the dog attacked the delivery person
I don't know how I survived,” said a Zomato delivery person who was attacked by a pet German Shepherd, who snapped at his crotch in the lift at Indiabulls Greens Marigold CHS in Panvel on Saturday evening. The victim, Narendra Periyar, 33, had just stepped out of the lift when the incident took place. He is currently undergoing treatment at DY Patil Medical College and Hospital in Nerul, the cost of which is being borne by the dog owner.
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Periyar, a resident of sector 3 Kalamboli, said, “After making the delivery, when I came down, I saw a huge dog. Before I could realise what’s happening the dog had attacked me. I somehow managed to free myself and ran toward the parking area while writhing in pain. It was after I was at a safe distance that I realised I was bleeding heavily. Some onlookers took me to MGM Hospital in Kamothe where the doctors stitched the wounds and gave me anti-rabies injection before discharge.”
Narendra Periyar, the Zomato delivery person
“However, the pain got unbearable on Monday. There was also blood in my urine. So, I came and got admitted at DY Patil hospital,” he said, adding that he was doing better. When asked about hospital expenses, he said, “The owner of the dog is taking care of medical expenses. Even they were shocked to see the extent of the injury.”
He added, “This incident has left me scarred. I am terrified of dogs now. My wife, son and parents, who had wanted me to stay back at home on the day of the incident instead of going to work as it was my sister’s birthday, are still in shock.”
Shocking CCTV footage
K K Nambiar, a resident of the complex, said, “Within hours of the incident, the CCTV footage was forwarded to all residents. It was shocking. The incident could have been averted had the custodian of the pet taken some safety measures.”
“The delivery person was taken aback as he saw the huge pet in front of the elevator door. The custodian had pulled the leash to make way, but the dog attacked and bit him,” he said, adding, “I myself am a victim of a recent stray bite and am still coping with the incident.”
Society pet policy
Another resident said, “This was an unfortunate incident. Our society has a pet policy which directs pet owners to adhere to certain dos and don’ts, but this is barely followed. We will hold a meeting soon to come up with stringent guidelines, so that such incidents can be averted in future.” He added, “We confronted the dog owner who assured us that he would bear the cost of treatment for the victim.”
Indiabulls Greens Marigold CHS in Panvel where the incident took place
Advocate Amit Katarnaware, who lives in the same complex, said, “If pet dogs are properly trained then such kind of incidents can be avoided. The CCTV footage shows that the pet handler failed to control the dog which resulted in the incident. As per vicarious liability, the master is responsible for the act of servant, hence the pet owner is responsible for the act.”
Attempts to contact the pet owner did not yield any result. Interestingly, post this incident, other societies in the vicinity have also decided to come up with a pet policy to avoid such incidents.
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Surgeon Speak
Dr Meena Kumar, professor and head of the department of surgery at DY Patil hospital, said, “The patient was treated for the dog bite and given anti-rabies injection in another hospital. He came to DY Patil hospital on Monday with a history of bleeding from urethra. We examined his wound. He is healing better. We will give him the second dose of anti-rabies vaccine and keep him here for a few more days before deciding on his discharge.”
Dr Ketan Vagholkar, another professor of surgery at the hospital, said, “Animal bites cause mutilating soft tissue injuries. In the said case, the injury was to the genitalia. The functional damage cannot be ascertained currently. Full recovery of the injuries will take time, as animal bite injuries are usually treated conservatively. Infection caused by organisms in the saliva of animals, may assume a serious proportion, which may at times, be difficult to manage.”
Pet owners liable
Nidi Hegde, animal activist and lawyer from Kandivli east, said, “If the pet owner is aware that the pet is aggressive and has the tendency to bite strangers, then it is ideal to muzzle the pet when required. While not all pets are aggressive, those with the tendency to bite should be leashed and collared around people. It is important for owners to take measures by providing their pets with basic and behavioural training. Also, all the vaccinations for the pets should be up to date so that there are no complications to the victim in case of such incidents. And it is the moral duty of the pet owner to bear the medical expenses for the victim.”
Dr Prakash Kothari, former professor and chief of sexual medicine at KEM Hospital, said, “We must understand that the male genitalia is a sensitive organ, and any injury can cause temporary to lifelong damages. The two cylindrical columns of spongy tissue that runs through the shaft of the penis, if injured due to any trauma or accident, can cause temporary to permanent impotence, and in extreme cases the only treatment might be implant. The other spongy tissue, connecting the urethra, if damaged can also lead to difficulty in passing urine.”
Aug 29
Day of the incident
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