An eight-year-old boy was mauled by a stray dog in Amroha district’s Gajraula Alipur area on Monday, local officials said, in an incident captured on CCTV that has reignited concerns over street dog attacks in India. The victim, identified as Ahad Saifi, was playing outside his home when the dog pounced and bit him on the arms and legs, officials said. Two motorcyclists passing by intervened and freed the boy from the animal’s grip. He was taken to a community health centre where he is receiving treatment. Residents said the same dog had attacked people in the area before. The incident occurred on the same day the Supreme Court ordered authorities in Delhi-NCR to remove all stray dogs from the streets and place them in shelters within eight weeks, with sterilisation to be completed during that time.

The ruling has triggered mixed reactions nationwide. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticised it as “inhuman” and “unscientific,” saying community care, sterilisation and vaccination could protect both public safety and animal welfare.

Municipal authorities in Mumbai, which has faced rising complaints about street dogs, said they received 10,778 complaints from January to August 2025. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has expanded its “MyBMC” mobile app and website to allow residents to report stray dog incidents online and track the status of their complaints.

BMC officials said they have sterilised and vaccinated 420,345 stray dogs between 2023 and 2025 under ongoing rabies prevention and population control programmes launched in 1994.