A holiday abroad turned into a nightmare for a Kolkata family after a sniffer dog allegedly bit their four-year-old son at the city airport, forcing them to cancel their planned trip to Malaysia, police said on Friday.

The incident took place on August 12 between departure gates 4A and 4B at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport.

According to the complaint, the boy was walking with his parents when a German Shepherd sniffer dog, deployed by a security agency, suddenly lunged forward and bit him, despite being on a leash with its handler.

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The family later lodged an FIR against the handler, accusing him of “incompetence in controlling the dog causing severe injury” to their child. The father said his son had to undergo a month-long course of anti-rabies vaccination, which left them with no option but to cancel their trip.

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Police confirmed that the complaint was filed a week after the incident and that an investigation has been initiated into the matter.