Kasaragod: A one-and-a-half-year-old boy was seriously injured after a stray dog bit him on the face while he was sitting in the courtyard of his house at Jodkal in Kayyar ward of Paivalike panchayat in Kasaragod district. The same dog bit a neighbour's cow and a homeless cat before disappearing.

The injured boy has been identified as Rithuraj, the son of Gurupasad and Thulasi.The incident occurred around 11 am on Saturday. The boy was playing in the courtyard while his mother was hanging clothes on a clothesline when the dog approached from behind and bit him on the face, according to his paternal uncle, Roopesh A C.

“The mother realised what had happened only when the child started crying. The dog fled, but then bit a cow belonging to our neighbour, and also a cat,” Roopesh said.

Neighbours were unable to catch the dog, Roopesh said. “It fled. We informed the panchayat secretary. But there is still no trace of the dog. We are worried,” he said.

The child was first taken to a primary health centre and later shifted to Kasaragod General Hospital, where he was administered an anti-rabies vaccine.

“However, the doctors have not yet told us what needs to be done about the wound, whether it needs to be dressed or left open, or whether we should consult a plastic surgeon. We reached the hospital at 11 am, but even by 5 pm, we had not received any clear information,” Roopesh said.

The cow’s owner, Shuhan Shetty, also had to get the animal vaccinated against rabies. Roopesh said the area had been grappling with a stray dog menace, with packs of dogs roaming the locality.