An 84-year-old bedridden woman died after a stray dog attack at Vellarakad in Thrissur district. Residents later tracked down and killed the animal. Police registered a case and sent the carcass for rabies examination.
Published Date – 13 March 2026, 09:28 AM
Thrissur (Kerala): A stray dog that allegedly fatally attacked an 84-year-old bedridden woman was killed by residents at Vellarakad here on Friday, police said.
The victim Karthiyani and her son Devadasan, who also has health issues, were attacked by the dog on Thursday evening.
Police said residents carried out a search for the stray dog and found the animal around 2 am on Friday, following which it was killed.
The carcass will be examined by veterinarians to determine whether the animal had rabies.
Police said that apart from Karthiyani, the dog also attacked three persons in the surrounding area, and three other dogs.
Meanwhile, Erumapetty police registered a case of unnatural death in connection with the incident on Friday.
The body of Karthiyani will be handed over to relatives after the postmortem.
Devadasan was discharged from the hospital on Friday morning, police added.
The incident came to light when Karthiyani’s other son, Mani, reached the house in the evening with dinner.
Police said Mani found Devadasan severely injured while Karthiyani was lying in a pool of blood inside her bedroom.
Both were immediately shifted to a nearby hospital, where the death of the elderly woman was confirmed, police said.
Residents claim that stray dogs survive on animal skins brought for the percussion instrument “Chenda” at cottage industries operating in the area.