UP news: 5-year-old girl killed by stray dogs in Gonda

In a tragic incident, a 5-year-old girl lost her life after a pack of stray dogs attacked four children who had stepped out of their homes in the morning in the Dhaneipur area of Uttar Pradesh’s Gonda district on Saturday.

According to police, the incident took place around 7 am on Saturday near the primary school in Madhavganj, anout 200 metres from the victim's house.

The deceased has been identified as Muskan, aged 5, daughter of Bishun Lal, a resident of Kalyan Nagar ward in Gonda.

She had gone out along with her elder sister Mehak, aged 6, and two other children, Naitik and Sunaina, when the dogs attacked them.

While the other children managed to escape, Muskan was seriously injured in the attack, the police said.

On hearing their cries, neighbours immediately rushed to the spot, following which the dogs fled. Subsequently, Muskan was taken to the Community Health Centre and later shifted to the medical college, where she was declared dead by the doctors.

Local councillor Pawan Tiwari and Nagar Panchayat chairperson's representative Brijbhushan Verma met the bereaved family and assured them that steps would be taken to capture the stray dogs.

These ABC units and Dog Shelter Homes are currently being constructed within municipal corporations and various district hubs across the state, according to an official statement issued recently.

At the administrative tier, emphasis is being placed on the synchronized advancement of site selection, financial provisioning, and project authorization. These actions align with specific directives previously issued by the Supreme Court.

On 7 November, 2025, the Supreme Court acknowledged the "alarming surge" in canine attacks within institutional zones such as hospitals and schools, ordering that such animals be relocated to authorized shelters.

The judicial bench instructed authorities to block the entry of stray dogs into the grounds of both public and private educational sites and medical facilities to mitigate the risk of injury.

Under the guidance of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the government aims to settle the stray dog challenge through humane and scientific methodologies, the statement said.

The robust network of Dog Shelter Homes and ABC facilities will safeguard public health while simultaneously advancing the standards of animal welfare. Within metropolitan jurisdictions, Dog Shelter Homes will be integrated with existing or upcoming ABC centers.

Each municipal body is tasked with securing appropriate acreage and finalizing all required bureaucratic procedures, the statement stated.