NABADWIP: In a remarkable display of instinct and compassion, a pack of stray dogs protected an abandoned newborn left outside the toilet of a house in Nabadwip through the early hours of Monday. Forming a tight circle around the crying infant, the dogs stayed by his side until a local woman discovered him at dawn.
Residents of the Swarupnagar Rail Colony, about 10km from the pilgrimage town of Mayapur, had heard the baby’s cries overnight but assumed they came from a neighbouring home. At daybreak, Radha Bhowmick was heading to the toilet when she spotted the infant — a boy — surrounded by the dogs. She picked him up and called for help, after which her niece-in-law Priti Bhowmick rushed him to Maheshganj Hospital. The child was later shifted to Krishnanagar Sadar Hospital.
Doctors found no external injuries. The blood on the newborn’s head appeared to be related to the birth, not to any harm.
Police suspect the baby was abandoned shortly after delivery. An investigation has been launched with support from Childline officials, and the Child Welfare Committee has been notified to ensure the infant’s long-term care.
Reflecting on the incident, Bhowmick said, “The very dogs we often shoo away did what many humans wouldn’t — they kept the baby alive.”
Similar acts of protection by strays have been reported before, including a case in Kolkata nine years ago when four dogs guarded a newborn girl and chased away crows until she was rescued.
