Police are investigating after a dog mauled and killed a 3-month-old baby boy and injured a house helper in Kisubi, Wakiso district.
The fatal attack took place at the family’s home in Canaan Estate, Mawugulu Cell, Katabi Town Council.
Police said in a brief statement that at around 10:00 a.m. on Monday, March 18, 2024, a tamed dog belonging to Doctor Andrew Ekwaro Obuku, the former president of the Uganda Doctor’s Association, escaped from its kennel.
“The dog violently attacked and bit to death Dr. Obuku’s baby boy, identified as Raphael,” said Entebbe Police Station in a crime scene report seen by media.
“This incident happened when the boy’s parents left him in the custody of the newly-recruited housemaid, Sharon Nuwarinda,” said the police.
Nuwarinda narrated that she placed Raphael on the veranda of the house as she was doing her housework while watching over him.
“Then I suddenly saw the dog coming to attack the boy,” she recalled.
“I rushed to pick him up. However, the dog grabbed the boy, and I tried to struggle with the dog, but it overpowered me and bit the boy badly,” said Nuwarinda.
The dog also took a bite at the maid’s thigh.
The maid made a continuous alarm, and when the dog killed the boy,it went back to its kennel.
Later on, the neighbors arrived at Mr. Obuku’s home, and the deceased was rushed to Kisubi Hospital.
Preliminary police findings show that the dog has been hostile, and it once tried to attack people from the neighborhood.
“The dog’s house was not well fixed, which gave it a chance to sneak out,” the police report reads in part, emphasizing, “The doctor’s house is always locked from the gate, which makes it hard for the neighbors to understand the situation.”
“The dog badly bit the boy’s head; hence, it removed the internal organs of the head, say the brain, which is a rare behaviour of dogs, and thus it might have been sick.”
The body was taken to Kisubi Hospital first and later to Mulago National Referral Hospital for a post-mortem.
The housemaid was taken to the Entebbe police station for safe custody.
The development underscores the need to equip dog owners with knowledge on managing the dangerous domestic animals.
Government statistics show that an average of 14,865 dog bites and 36 rabies deaths were registered annually in Uganda from 2015-2020.
Compiled results from Ministry of Health statistics showed that between 2001 and 2015, 208,000 reported dog bites were recorded in all regions of Uganda with an overall incidence of 58.1/100,000.
The dog bite incidence varies per region, with the highest incidence in the Northern region followed by the Central, Western, and East regions.
The suspected human rabies deaths in Uganda are 32 deaths per year; 29% from the Eastern region, 28% (Central region), 27% (Northern region), and 17% (Western region).
How to Prevent Dog Bites:
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Never, ever put an infant or toddler on the floor with a dog.
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Be sure that dogs cannot access children, especially infants, while they are sleeping.
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Even if you do not own a dog, teach children age-appropriate interactions with dogs. When teaching children how to approach a dog, always be sure a dog is leashed and under an adult’s full control.
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Teach children never to put their face at a dog’s level.
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Do not approach an unfamiliar dog, even if it looks friendly.
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Do not run from a dog or scream.
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Remain motionless (e.g., “be still like a tree”) when approached by an unfamiliar dog.
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If knocked over by a dog, roll into a ball and lie still (e.g., “be still like a log”).
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Do not play with a dog unless supervised by an adult.
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Immediately report stray dogs or dogs displaying unusual behavior to an adult.
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Avoid direct eye contact with a dog.
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Do not disturb a dog that is sleeping, eating, or caring for puppies.
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Do not pet a dog without allowing it to see and sniff you first.
