Government advises odd tip to avoid dog bites

The post recently deleted by the Department of Animal Husbandry on the social media platform X has caused much outrage and uproar among people. The post was in a bid to minimize dog bites which advised that individuals must ‘pretend to be a tree’ whenever an aggressive dog approaches you The now deleted post also suggested people to ” assume the position of a rock.””

Many doubts and objections have been raised against this unconventional advice, questioning its practical implications and effectiveness.

Dog attacks continue to increase in urban centres, with many people reporting cases of stray or even pet animals that have bitten them. It is imperative that stringent measures be put in place to deal with this matter. Nonetheless, the instructions that the department has issued have left the residents wondering what they are supposed to do. For instance, the suggestion to stand still, not make eye contact and just stand like a tree during such situations sounds unrealistic considering how fast one has to think during a dog attack.

The backlash was heavy, where animal behaviour experts, dog trainers, and ordinary citizens contributed their thoughts. Critics claim that the advice is too simplified because canines are very complex animals unlike the way it should be on what one can do when their pet acts aggressively towards others. The hint also fails to consider the fact that there are some instances when just standing alone cannot stop some dogs from attacking, and may even result into more anger on them if one does so.

opinions appear unanimously to hold that the ins   tructions put across by the department lack a proper foundation and that some of them could even be risky. They say that the public should have access to more practical and scientifically validated approaches for preventing dog bites’ starts by understanding dog body language.

“The controversy has also shed light on to stray dogs in urban setup and how they are managed. In their argument, activists have blamed this problem on inadequate implementation of necessary measures towards regulating pets and responsible care for them; but besides all this instead giving such advice of doubts, they prefer elimination of the population overgrowth through spaying /neutering campaigns with an aim at seeing those who keep them enlightened”

In order to come up with strategies that are not only effective but also humane there is a call for collaboration between public authorities, animal protection groups as well as civilian populations. Progress demands educational campaigns, improved dog muzzling facilities as well as concerns for people and animal well-being. Such an initiative would help in ensuring everyone is safe thus creating a solution to cases of dog bites.