Surat: A veteran marathon runner from the city was injured in a stray dog attack during an early morning training run on April 29, affecting his preparations for the Comrades Marathon in South Africa scheduled in June.

Rajiv Sheth, 60, an exporter who has completed 171 marathons across eight countries, was running from Vesu towards Dumas around 5 am when three stray dogs chased him. One of them bit his hand, causing a deep wrist injury and tearing flesh from his forearm.

Bleeding heavily, Sheth was spotted by passers-by near Dumas, who rushed him for medical treatment. He was later administered an anti-rabies vaccine at Surat Civil Hospital.

Sheth, while recounting the ordeal, stated that he survived because he didn’t fall. “Had I collapsed, all three dogs could have attacked me,” he said.

Sheth, a former pet owner, said the incident highlights the growing stray dog menace and increasingly aggressive behaviour, rather than being an isolated case.

He added that locals later told him the dog was suspected to be rabid and was subsequently killed. DeshGujarat