A pack of stray dogs has mercilessly mauled to death 13 people in the last six months in Sitapur village in northern India. The victims have mainly been children under 19. On Sunday, they claimed their 13th victim – 12-year-old Reena who was walking through a field early in the morning.

A pack of man-eating dogs in the Sitapur district of India’s northern state of Uttar Pradesh has kept the terrified residents on tenterhooks after it mauled to death 13 persons in the last six months. The latest death came on Sunday when 12-year-old Reena was attacked and killed by the pack while on her way through a field early one morning.

Sheetal Verma, the district magistrate of Sitapur, told media that residents have been strictly ordered not to let their children venture out alone. Concerned authorities have been asked to capture the canines.

A few days ago, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh had visited many survivors of the dog attacks at the local hospital in Sitapur and assured the locals that his government would do all it takes to get rid of the problem. However, with Reena’s death on Sunday, irate locals took to the streets and blocked traffic demanding early action by the authorities.To find a permanent solution to the problem, the state government has asked experts from the Indian Veterinary Research Institute and World Wildlife Fund to find sustainable ways to tackle the menace of stray dogs.
Local BJP legislature Rakesh Rathore blamed the police and administration for the lapses.

“It is the fault of higher leadership. If they had acted when these incidents started happening in November or when we raised questions about it in January, the incidents would have stopped,” Rakesh Rathore, MLA said.

The vice-chairman of India’s planning body NITI Ayog, Rajiv Kumar, has also asked everyone for suggestions to solve the problem.

“Human lives are precious too,” Rajiv Kumar tweeted.

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