‘Cow Hug Day’ is all well and good. But, what about other animals? There are many stray animals that wander the streets of Goa and end up getting involved in road accidents, infected by disease, and even die on the streets.
When involved in accidents, the authorities do not provide any kind of assistance to the injured strays.
Many of these animals contract diseases such as rabies, blastomycosis, Chlamydophila psittaci, Chlamydia psittaci, cat scratch disease etc.
These animals face several serious issue such as these, yet the authorities focus on frivolous things such as Cow Hug Day.
WHY COW HUG DAY?
Cow Hug Day came into being when the(AWBI) a division of the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying issued an appeal on February 6, 2023, for Cow Hug Day to be celebrated this Valentine’s Day, which was later withdrawn.
For centuries, the cow has been considered sacred by many Indians. It is believed to be a symbol of the Earth and the divine.
So, in order to revere the animals, the authorities planned to rebrand this Valentine’s Day as 'Cow Hug Day', hoping the move would, both, boost citizens’ 'emotional richness' as well as strike a blow for local heritage over what is seen as a Western cultural import.
However, this appeal seems to have backfired, and the notice withdrawn.
Let's take a look at what animals lovers in Goa have to say about the neglect of animals by the law and rules that have been set.
NEED FOR 24X7 ANIMAL HELPINE NUMBER
Here's what a few pet lovers feel regarding the issue of there being laws concerning animals, but no action taken, as such.
Marlon D’Souza, a resident of Aldona, says that the government needs to be sensitive to the plight of injured animals, especially those that find it difficult to walk. A responsive helpline would go a long way.
Kavita Dias feels the same regarding a non-responsive helpline, wherein you call the helpline number, notifying them about an injured animal, but the response they get is that the ambulance is not around or the driver is not available.
STRICT RULES AND LAWS ARE NEEDED
Another individual, Faizan Anwer Israili, says, "There’s a huge difference between the law and action. The mere existence of a few rules doesn’t make much difference in this country, when it comes to the administration that works on making the population abide the same. How many rapists get the death penalty? Or, how many murderers get punished in the prescribed way? Similarly, there are laws for animal cruelty, but there isn’t, and won’t be, any strict action because in this country, only the lives of influencial figures matter."
