A pack of stray dogs guarded an abandoned newborn lay outside a house in Nabadwip's Swarupnagar Rail Colony, through the early hours of Monday. The resident rescued the child at dawn.
As per a report by the Times of India, residents said that they had heard faint cries during the night but thought the sounds were coming from a neighbouring home. The newborn, a boy, had been left outside the toilet of a house in the colony about 10km from the pilgrimage town of Mayapur.
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As per the report by The Times of India, Radha Bhowmick, a resident of the area, said that around dawn, she was on her way to the toilet when she found several stray dogs surrounding the infant. The canines parted as she reached the place. Ms Bhowmick took the baby and sought help from others. Her niece-in-law, Priti Bhowmick, rushed the child to Maheshganj Hospital.
Baby stable, shifted to Sadar Hospital
The report states further that doctors at Maheshganj Hospital conducted an examination on the infant and found no external injury on his body. The blood on the baby's head is believed to have surfaced due to birth. After the initial treatment, the infant was referred to Krishnanagar Sadar Hospital for further treatment. As per reports by hospital officials, the condition of the child is stable, and he is under observation.
Police in Nabadwip suspect that the infant was abandoned shortly after birth, possibly by someone from the locality. Officers have initiated an inquiry supported by Childline officials. The Child Welfare Committee has been informed about the long-term care and protection of the child.
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Locals praise the dogs' vigil
Speaking to the police and neighbours about the incident, Radha Bhowmick said the dogs had remained near the newborn till she reached him. “Those dogs, the ones we often chase away, did what many humans wouldn't. They kept the baby alive,” she said. Residents said the dogs left only after the baby was taken to safety.
Similar incidents of stray dogs guarding abandoned infants have been reported earlier, including one in Kolkata nine years ago, when four dogs protected a newborn girl till she was rescued, The Times of India reported.
