No wonder they say let sleeping dogs lie. A stray dog, apparently rabid, sneaked into Writers? Buildings on Friday morning, bit a home guard, ripped off part of the trousers of a police officer in a bid to bite him, and later died within two hours of being taken into custody by a voluntary organisation.

At 9 am on Friday, P.D. Karfa, caretaker of Writers? Buildings, spotted a stray near Gate no. 5. ?The dog was shivering and panting. I asked the security officer to shoo it away. He said the dog had chased him and he was scared,? Karfa recounted.

Later, the dog presumably sneaked in through Gate no. 3, which was still closed. Around 9.30 am, the dog chased the home guard and bit him. It also tried to bite another police officer, but only managed to rip off part of his trousers. The home guard, bleeding from the bite, was rushed to Sambhunath Pandit Hospital.

The dog day morning came to an end when security and other staff of Writers? finally cornered the canine near Gate no. 1, through which chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee drove in a while later.

Officer-in-charge (Writers? Buildings) Prodyut Bhattacharya sent an SOS to People for Animals (PFA), a voluntary organisation, which sent a dog van. ?It seems the dog, about six years old, was rabid,? said Nilendu Pal of PFA. It died within a couple of hours.

About six months ago, Writers? was rid of all stray dogs, claimed caretaker Karfa. That is the official line. But on any given day, dogs enter Writers? without a visitor?s slip and merrily roam the first and second floors of the state?s seat of governance.