Panvel: There was turmoil in a village in Taloja, Navi Mumbai, after a stray dog mauled five people, including four children, within a span of 20 minutes earlier this week.
The brutality of the attacks that occurred between 7.15 pm and 7.35 pm on Friday has left the community outraged, with residents announcing plans to launch a protest demanding decisive action from the Panvel Municipal Corporation (PMC).
The most serious case was that of three-year-old Mustafa Ali, who was attacked by a stray dog as soon as he stepped out of the doorway of his ground-floor home in the Mannat Ali area. Within seconds, his face was mauled, his upper lip nearly torn off, and deep wounds inflicted on his nose and forehead.
The attack on Ali was captured on CCTV, showing the boy screaming as the dog mauled him, before neighbours rushed to pull the child free. The footage has been circulating widely in the community, intensifying both anger and fear.
Ali was first taken to MGM Hospital in Kamothe and later shifted to Nair Hospital in Mumbai, where a team led by a plastic surgeon performed emergency reconstructive surgery. Doctors said that Mustafa had suffered multiple deep lacerations on his face, including a torn upper lip. Surgeons stitched the torn lip, treated other wounds, and administered anti-rabies and tetanus vaccines. Hospital officials said the boy is stable and recovering, though swelling persists, and follow‑up care will be required.
Ali’s family remains traumatised. His 17-year-old sister, Shazia Shaikh, who witnessed the attack, said, “He was at the door when the dog pounced. There was blood all over. His lip was hanging. We had never seen this dog in our area before. We are scared to even let the children step out now. The memory of that attack will never leave us.”
Ali’s father, Mohammed Salim, who continues to be with his son in the hospital, said the ordeal has left the family shaken. “We never imagined something like this could happen right outside our home. My son has gone through unbearable pain. The dog seems to have gone mad,” he said.
On his son’s treatment, Salim explained, “Surgeons stitched the torn lip and treated other facial wounds. He was given anti-rabies and tetanus vaccines. My son is still in a bad condition. There is a lot of swelling after the operation.”
He added, “We are in a bad mental state now. Once my child is fine, we will take up the issue with the administration. We want the authorities to act so no other child suffers like this.”
Within minutes of the attack on Ali, the same dog turned on others in the locality, residents said. Among them was seven-year-old Isa Gulbar, who sustained deep wounds and remains hospitalised at a hospital in Vashi. “There were multiple wounds, and all of them were too deep. The doctors have said he will have to undergo surgery,” said Mubashshir Gulbar, Isa’s father. “This was not an isolated incident. Several dog bites have been reported in our area in recent times. We will start a campaign against this menace.”
Two other children were treated for bite injuries and later discharged, while one adult resident escaped with minor injuries.
Anger in Taloja
Following the attacks, residents alleged that the stray dog population in Taloja has been rising unchecked, and that the civic body has failed to act despite repeated complaints. “We’ve been warning the authorities for months. Now, a child is fighting for his life,” said one villager.
Local social worker Shahjehan Chougule said, “We don’t want to wait for another tragedy. Children should be safe in their own village. If the administration fails to act decisively, we will be forced to launch a public protest.” Preparations for a protest march are already underway.
Following the outrage, the Panvel Municipal Corporation (PMC) dispatched a dog‑catching team on Saturday, and the animal was captured, but residents said this was only a temporary fix. The scale of the problem is evident in official data: nearly 6,000 dog bite cases were reported in Panvel city in the first nine months of 2025, an average of 22 cases every day.
“An AI‑based survey conducted in March counted more than 19,000 stray dogs and 5,000 cats within PMC limits. In response, the corporation has set up 15 rabies clinics across its 26 urban primary health centres. We have completed 72% of planned vaccinations for strays,” said a PMC official.
Despite these measures, residents argued that sterilisation drives are lagging and waste management remains poor, allowing stray populations to thrive, said Chougule.