An 18-month-old girl was killed by stray dogs in Ponda, Goa

A toddler was attacked and killed by a pack of stray dogs when she was playing outside a house in North Goa on Friday, police said.

The incident occurred in the Durgabhat ward of Ponda town in the morning, they said.

According to the police, 18-month-old Anabiya Shaikh was playing outside her uncle's house when a pack of four to five stray dogs attacked her.

The child was rushed to a nearby government-run hospital, where doctors declared her dead.

Talking to reporters, Anand Naik, chairperson of the Ponda Municipal Council, said the civic body is trying its best to control the stray dog menace and has entered an agreement with the NGO People for Animals to sterilise the animals.

"We have proposed a shelter home for stray dogs to control the menace," he said while condemning the incident.