'I screamed for help': French woman bitten by stray dog during morning walk in Alappuzha

Alappuzha: A foreigner was injured after being bitten by a street dog while walking near Alappuzha Beach on Tuesday. 

The victim has been identified as Kesnotte, a 55-year-old financial consultant from France. The woman, who had previously visited several foreign countries, said that this was her first such experience. 

Kesnotte recalled that she was staying at a homestay and had gone out to have tea at a hotel by the beach. Dressed in a small skirt and shirt, she was walking when a street dog first attacked her, biting her skirt. When she tried to push the dog away, it bit her leg. Despite her attempts to flee, the dog continued to bite her, and she eventually managed to scare it off.

Her cries for help alerted lifeguard C.A. Anilkumar, who quickly arrived and helped her reach the hospital. She received a tetanus shot at the General Hospital. She revealed that she had faced street dogs during her time in Kerala but had never experienced an attack until this incident in Alappuzha.

The incident has raised concerns about the growing street dog menace at popular tourist destinations in Kerala. Alappuzha Beach, often crowded with both locals and tourists, is known to be a hotspot for street dogs. 

Despite several complaints from the public, street dogs continue to be a nuisance in many parts of the district. The locals have pointed out that the lack of a proper system to control the street dog population is contributing to the issue. There are calls for the local municipality to take immediate action and build shelters to safely house aggressive dogs.