BENGALURU: Eight-year-old Mitra has just overcome her fear of dogs and no longer tries to harm one if they come too close. She isn’t the only one and as many as 20 children were recently taught how to be safe around animals. The Eat Neat Project, an aquaponic farm, celebrated World Environment Day recently with an event - Man vs Animal Conflict - in Deccan Palms Village, Electronics City. The aim of the event was to ensure that both humans and animals have the space they need.
According to Amrut Hiranya, a canine behaviourist at RPF Dog Squad, playing with animals can be fun but safety alongside also matters. He presented an interactive session enlisting the responsibilities of an animal enthusiast. Children aged between five to 15 took part and put forth their concerns as pet owners.
“It was a good experience where we learnt how to not be afraid of dogs and treat them better,” said nine-year-old Gauri Nambiyar.
The enthusiasm of the children was evident with the questions they raised. “If a dog attacks me, what am I to do?” asked a 10-year-old dog lover. “How do you help stray dogs?” asked an eight-year-old. The session entailed many such questions and participants were educated on the pros and cons of owning an animal and ways to protect themselves from possible diseases.
“The session saw various concerns running through a child’s mind regarding his/her pet and the main purpose of this presentation was to educate the young ones on identifying the difference between a sound and stable dog from the rest,” said Hiranya.
Staying safe
● Never fall asleep with dogs as it might lead to unknown allergies or infection
● Never pet or hug an unknown dog without an elder’s supervision (for children under 10 years of age)
● Never run or show your teeth as that might incite aggression
● Never separate two dogs from a fight, the aggression might get diverted towards you
● Make loud shrill noises using steel utensils in order to prevent or stop the dog from its aggression.