Since Karunakaran was already injured in that area, the dog bite caused further complications.
Published Aug 19, 2025 | 9:13 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 20, 2025 | 1:57 PM
Stray dogs on a street. (iStock)
Synopsis: Karunakaran (48), a resident of Jabarkhan Pettai in Chennai, died on August 18 after being bitten by a dog on his previously fractured thigh. The dog, owned by a local woman, also bit her during the incident. Despite being rushed to K.K. Nagar Government Hospital, Karunakaran succumbed to complications. The incident has sparked shock and concern in the area.
Amid the ongoing debate over the Supreme Court order over stray dogs, Karunakaran (48), a resident of Jabarkhan Pettai in Chennai, who has been recovering from a fracture in his right thigh bone since six months, died after a dog bit him on Monday, 18 August. The incident has caused shock and tension in the area.
Due to the fracture, he had been staying at home without going for any work, though he occasionally went out for cooking jobs, it is said.
Monday afternoon, he had gone along with a man named Javagar for a cooking job and returned home around 3 PM.
After returning, while he was sitting at the entrance of his house, a dog belonging to a woman named Poongodi bit him on his right thigh — the same area where he had earlier sustained an injury.
It is also notable that when Poongodi tried to restrain the dog, it bit her as well.
Since Karunakaran was already injured in that area, the dog bite caused further complications.
He was rushed in a 108 ambulance to the Government Hospital in K.K. Nagar for treatment. However, despite medical care, Karunakaran succumbed to his injuries.
Residents said they had earlier complained to the police about the dog’s aggressive behaviour and had demanded its removal from the area, but no action was taken.
They alleged that the owner had political backing, which prevented authorities from intervening. Family members of Karunakaran claimed that the death could have been avoided if the dog had been shifted earlier.
Chennai Corporation veterinary officials later captured the animal and took it to the Kannamapet dog shelter.
A case has been registered against the pet owner for negligence, and she will be arrested once discharged from hospital. The civic body is also examining the feasibility of regulating the breeding of ferocious dogs in the city.
(Edited by Sumavarsha, with inputs from Subash Chandra Bose, and Veni EN)
