The pit bull attack caused her to undergo surgeries at a private hospital.
A 34-year-old woman named Dipti Mudaliar was attacked by a pit bull last month. The dog ripped a part of her right arm while she was walking with her colleagues on Tolstoy Marg in Central Delhi. The attack caused her to undergo surgeries at a private hospital.
Ms Mudaliar, who is going through physical and mental trauma, shares how the owners were so callous and were not cognizant of the fact that their carelessness has caused severe damage. "They did not offer anything more than a verbal apology. As of today, I have not received any communication from their side," said the journalist.
A case under the Indian Penal Code's sections 289 (negligent conduct with respect to animal), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means) and 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) were registered at the Barakhamba Road police station on her complaint. The owner of the dog Shripriya Agarwal and the caretaker, Rampal, was arrested on February 3 but were released on bail the same day.
Considering the large size of the wound (10 cm x 7 cm) - a chunk of flesh had come from Ms Mudaliar's right arm just above the elbow - it will take multiple surgeries over the next few months and possibly years for a full recovery.
Ms Mudaliar's treatment will be in multiple stages. The focus of the current treatment is to restore tissue loss using skin grafting and other advanced surgeries. The situation is complicated due to the location of the injury.
Talking about the surgeries, she told NDTV, "In the first stage, I had two surgeries. The first surgery happened on February 1 under emergency conditions, and the second surgery will take place on March 1. The next stage of the treatment will depend on how the wound heals."
"The flesh ripped apart by the pit bull will never grow back naturally, and it can only be covered up artificially to some extent," said she added.
The injury has already started interfering with Ms Mudaliar's day-to-day life. "I am not able to do the routine of my normal work, including domestic and official duties. Now the spirit, enthusiasm, and alacrity have all been shattered, and I don't know what my future holds."
Apart from the physical and mental trauma, the woman added, "This has been an additional, unexpectedly large expense. I am worried about how much this will cost for future treatments."
Ms Mudaliar recalled a conversation with the pet owner who said she has never walked her dog and always used a dog walker. "This statement nullifies the meaning of having a pet, which is also like your family/child in many ways. Her statement just showed her callous attitude towards her own pet and a lack of responsibility as a pet owner/parent."
She said that owning any animal is not a hobby, it is a lifelong responsibility. "Well-known aggressive and powerful breeds with strong jaws, such as pit bulls, necessitate special handling (short and strong leashes, proper muzzles, etc.) that must be implemented before the pet can be owned. There are rules regarding this particular breed in Delhi NCR, Noida, Ghaziabad, and Gurugram that must be properly adhered to," she concluded.