Noida Lotus Boulevard death: Why dogs attack? How to prevent dog bites?

In a heart-rending incident, a stray dog killed an infant boy by ripping out his intestines in Noida's posh Lotus Boulevard society. The incident triggered a faceoff between animal lovers and local residents. 

The child's mother is a daily wager. On Monday, she was at work inside the Noida Sector 100 society when the dog attacked the child. The locals, hearing the child's scream, rushed to his help and shooed the animal away. 

The child was admitted to Noida's Yatharth hospital where he died during treatment. The incident took place amid reports of dog attacks in Delhi-NCR's posh residential societies. 

The big question is: Why do dogs bite and how such incidents can be prevented?

Ambika Shukla of People For Animals told PTI that dogs attack when threatened, during mating season or when their territory is transgressed. Dogs become aggressive after delivering their pups. 

What to do if dogs approach you aggressively? Don't make sudden movements like running, screaming or jumping around. One must stand still, firmly and calmly to reduce the chances of being bitten. 

Delhi-based non-profit Woof's Ayesha Christina blamed the ever-increasing population of dogs as the reason for human-animal conflicts. 

She said more dogs mean more fights for territory, resources and mates. 

Many experts blame dog lovers for dog attacks. This is because dog lovers often feed the animals their leftovers but don't take care of them with timely vaccination, doctor visits etc. 

As per the Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules 2001, the Centre has issued guidelines for the population control of stray dogs but doesn't talk of rules governing the feeding of the animals. 

What do the proposed rules suggest?

As per the proposed rules, the Centre has advised procedures for vaccination and sterilization of the canines. It also proposed the formation of panels to monitor the population of stray dogs. 

An animal helpline will be set up by local authorities to resolve complaints of dog bites.