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Govt's ‘pretend to be tree’ advice to avoid dog bites sparks backlash
The department advised standing still with hands at one's sides if approached by a growling dog, adding that the dog will "usually go away."
The department of animal husbandry and dairying is facing backlash for a social media post on combatting the stray dog menace. The goverment department, under the ministry of fisheries, animal husbandry and dairying, suggested a controversial approach to avoid dog bites: “pretend to be a tree”.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the department advised, “If a growling dog gets close to you, pretend to be a tree stand still with your hands at your side.”
“Allow the dog to sniff you and it will usually go away,” it added.
Read: SC discusses stray dog menace after lawyer ‘hounded and attacked’
This advice has sparked criticism from social media users, who questioned its practicality and effectiveness. Some pointed out that the department’s advice oversimplifies the issue and fails to address the broader problems associated with stray dogs in India, including the need for vaccination, registration, and population control measures.
“It will 'usually' go away. Even you cannot guarantee that it will go away for sure. Keeping a stick or rock handy is the only solution to this menace,” one replied.
"You must be joking?" another wrote.
Read: Will chalk out a plan soon to tackle stray dog menace: Chandigarh mayor
Here are some more reactions:
"Stray dogs shouldn’t even be a thing in India today."
"At least raise concern with the municipality and Nigams to vaccinate the dogs ..register and keep check on pet dogs..if population increases then fix the responsibility."
"Pretend to be a tree? Seriously? And if the dog doesn't go away in an "unusual" situation then what? Pretend to be lettuce and be a meal for it?"
The stray dog menace has become a matter of greater concern, especially in urban areas. Last month, a four-year-old girl was mauled to death by stray dogs near Deoria in Uttar Pradesh. A four-year-old girl, Reshma, in the Udaipur district also met a similar fate after stray dogs attacked her. She was rushed to a hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries. In February, a one-and-a-half-year-old girl was allegedly mauled by a pack of dogs in Dhobi Ghat area of Tuqhlaq Lane in the national capital.
A six-year-old boy was mauled to death by a pack of stray dogs when he was going to his school in Chittorgarh district of Rajasthan, prompting the government to issue guidelines for municipal bodies asking them to pick up stray dogs with violent tendency and and release them away from cities.
The Supreme Court had asked the Animal Welfare Board of India to file an affidavit enclosing data on incidents of dog bites during the last few years in different states and prominent cities. The top court had said a balance has to be maintained between the safety of people and animal rights.
