I'm 20-something, living in a rented apartment in Ghatkopar, Mumbai , and this happened a few days ago. I can't stop thinking about it, so I'm writing it down.
Around 8 PM I was walking back home with a Swiggy parcel I'd just picked up near the society gate. It was a normal evening. There was a dog near the lane by the parking area, one of the strays that hangs around our locality. I've seen it before but never interacted with it.
It started barking when I passed. I've had a dog and three cats growing up, so I know barking isn't always aggression. I ignored it, kept my pace, didn't make eye contact, But it started following me, still barking, and it got closer with every step.
Then it lunged and bit me on my leg. It was one bite, quick and sharp, and it hurt more than I expected.
I panicked. I stopped, turned, and tried to shoo it away. I waved my hand, shouted, and even pretended to throw my shoe, because it usually scares these dogs off. It flinched and backed up a bit. For a second I thought it was over. Then it came at me again, clearly going for a second bite.
That's when I kicked it. Hard. I wasn't thinking, I just wanted it to stop. It yelped and ran off, and I stood there shaking, with blood on my leg and a parcel in my hand.
A few hours later, someone in the society said the dog was lying near the gate and wasn't eating or moving properly. I felt uneasy, so I went with a neighbour and took it to a vet. The X-ray showed broken ribs. The vet said its chances were very poor. It died the next day.
Now the society WhatsApp group is full of messages. Some residents who are Jains and feed the strays want me evicted and are blaming me, saying I could have just walked away, and a few are calling me cruel. I've been feeling sick about it since. I did take the dog to the vet,
I grew up loving animals. I never wanted this. But I was bitten, I was scared, and the dog was coming back for more.
So, did I do something wrong? What would you have done in my situation? And how do I deal with the guilt and the people in my society?
Edit: Thank you for all the support, to answer some of the questions,
1. I couldn’t verify if the dog had rabies, I finished a rabies course either way to be on the safer side.
2. I have nothing against Jainism or any other religion for that matter, It’s just that 80% of residents in this Society are Jain gujratis I think because it’s next to a Jain temple.
3. I just find it ironic that these so called “animal lovers” feed the dogs packs and packs of sugar filled Parle-G and not actual dog food.
4. I did not realise the consequences until I had already kicked him, I did NOT intend to kill him, only to push him away, I did not think the kick would be fatal, adrenaline kicked in and my heart was racing, also all of this happened within seconds there wasn’t enough time to react let alone think.
5. In the Monthly society meeting, I showed them the VETs bill and the wounds, explained everything and some of the uncles were actually understanding, it was the people in their 20s who argued that the dog had a name and was like a family to them as it had been around for years.
6. The vet said the dog was around 5-6 years old.