Mother of dog bite victim in Kerala hails SC verdict against strays

Kottayam: Grieving the loss of her daughter killed in a stray dog attack, Pathanamthitta Perunad-resident Rajani said, no mother should ever experience what she went through. She tearfully welcomed Supreme Court's decision to dismiss the appeal by dog lovers.Rajani's 12-year-old daughter, Abhirami, died of rabies on Sept 5, 2022. She was a Class VIII student of Mylapra SH School. Holding that constitutional balance must tilt in favour of human life if it clashes with welfare of animals, Supreme Court on Tuesday strongly reaffirmed its order to remove stray dogs from public institutions and spaces — such as hospitals, schools, colleges and playgrounds — noting that dog bite cases have assumed an "alarming proportion". It directed govt to take all legally permissible measures to control the problem, including euthanasia in cases involving rabid, incurably ill or demonstrably dangerous dogs.The apex court ruling brought some relief to Rajani, who lives with her daughter's memories. Rajani said Supreme Court's intervention and ruling provide comfort to relatives of many victims, including young children who lost their lives to dog attacks.Rajani said the newly elected state govt in Kerala and central govt should implement this order. Only those who have lost loved ones can truly understand the pain of that loss, Rajani said, referring to comments by BJP's Maneka Gandhi on the verdict.Abhirami was attacked by a stray dog on the morning of Aug 13, 2022, near her house. The dog knocked her down and bit her on the face and body while she was on her way to a nearby house to buy milk. She was immediately taken to Perunad primary health centre for first aid and then to Pathanamthitta general hospital for an anti-rabies vaccine. However, she developed discomfort within a few days and was taken to both Pathanamthitta general hospital and a private hospital in Pathanamthitta. As her condition worsened, she was shifted to Kottayam medical college, where rabies was confirmed. She passed away while under treatment. Despite receiving the vaccine, health department found that the bite on her face caused the rabies infection.There were allegations that Abhirami's death was due to medical negligence.