Stray dogs devour 65-yr-old lady injure another

Thiruvananthapuram : Residents of the coastal village, where at least two old women were attacked and one killed by stray dogs, have lashed out at Union Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi for her sympathy towards strays.

The gruesome incident took place on Friday night around 9 p.m. when 65-year-old Sheeluamma was attacked by dozens of stray dogs barely 10 km from the state secretariat here. According to the daughter-in-law of the victim, Sheeluamma, whose home lacks a toilet, went to the seafront to use a toilet there and did not return for quite some time.

Fearing an accident, her son went to look for her. He witnessed her being torn up by the hungry canines. He had to dive into the sea to save himself from the dogs.Speaking to the media, her daughter-in-law said: "By the time the dogs went away, her body had very few parts left and she died on the way to the hospital."

Her family and residents of the area were angry as they waited outside the state-run hospital to collect her body. They have blamed city authorities for inaction against the stray menace.Barely an hour later, in a second attack Daisy, 50, was critically injured on the seafront.

Daisy's daughter Pathrosi said: "We were shocked to see both her hands bitten at several places by these dogs. Her condition was very serious when we brought her to the hospital."   The area near the airport is the worst affected by the stray menace in this coastal village, the residents said.