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BATU PAHAT – A two-year-old girl is in stable condition after undergoing surgery following an alleged attack by a pack of stray dogs near her grandparents’ home in Kampung Tambak, Peserai, here, last Saturday.
Nur Haira Watikah Mohammad Hamizi was believed to have been attacked by the dogs at about 7am, around 10 metres from her grandparents’ home where she was staying during the school holidays.
Her 23-year-old aunt, Nur, said she was asleep when her mother’s repeated screams for Haira woke her.
“The attack happened about 10 metres from the house. I quickly ran out and by the time I reached Haira, she was lying on the ground, weak and covered in blood.
“My mother chased away the dogs, and I tried to carry Haira. At first, I worried that I was carrying her incorrectly, but she was very weak,” said Nur when met at her house today.
Nur said she and her parents took Haira to Sultanah Nora Ismail Hospital (HSNI) for treatment. There, doctors quickly stabilised her condition and conducted a CT scan and blood tests before transferring her to Sultanah Aminah Hospital (HSA) for further treatment.
Haira’s parents, who are currently at HSA, informed them that Haira underwent surgery on Sunday and is recovering.
“The surgery went smoothly and I was told that the doctors are monitoring her condition, which is now reported to be stable. Alhamdulillah, I hope my niece recovers quickly.
“Haira and her brother have been staying here during the school holidays as Haira’s parents were going to Johor Bahru for business. They live not far from our house,” she said.
According to Nur, around five to six stray dogs frequently roam the area, and she believed the dogs that attacked Haira were abandoned after being used to hunt wild boar at a nearby oil palm plantation.
“They use these dogs for hunting and then leave them here. We have been worried about them for a long time because their numbers are increasing. Residents have also lodged complaints about the dogs in this area many times.
“We hope immediate action can be taken because we are still worried that the same thing could happen again,” she said.
Batu Pahat District Police Chief Assistant Commissioner Shahrulanuar Mushaddat Abdullah Sani confirmed the incident.
He said the case is being investigated under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001 for child neglect and Section 289 of the Penal Code for negligence relating to animals.
