Frequently you will overhear people talking about how they love dogs far more than they love their fellow human being. The justification is fair: human beings can be animalistic, mean and generally terrible creatures whereas dogs show humanity unconditional love, no matter who he or she is. If that’s not enough for you, then let me sell you on the cuteness of dogs. Dogs are adorable—who would want any harm to come to one?
If you’re like me and love dogs, you’ll be reconsidering a holiday to Kerala, India (if you were planning one) and will become rationally angry in the next five seconds.
Kerala is a state in India where around 200,000 stray dogs roam free. Sneha Koshy, a journalist for NDTV, states that “we can’t go here for a walk, we can’t go there for a meal…[there are] reports of people being bitten by the dogs.” As a result of these local reports, the Keralan government has begun to outline plans to cull the dogs.
Given the nature of our perpetually connected world, this government plan sparked international outrage from dog-lovers and animal rights groups online. These groups are targeting the tourism-dependent state where it hurts most through the hashtag “Boycott Kerala.” This hashtag has been used to target tourist information accounts. The hashtag can be found paired with photos of slaughtered dogs. In addition to this hashtag, petitions have sprouted about online. For example, an online petition calling for the dogs to be saved has accumulated more than 50,000 signatures.
An activist, Rishi Dev, stated that the campaign “will not damage the economy of the region … [but] start a dialogue, which is what it has done.” Some groups have gone further, making fake bookings in Kerala hotels, only to cancel them to cause a disruption. Many of the activists come from Delhi.
In response to the international outcry, the hashtag “Boycott Hate” has emerged, being used by people who think the campaign is an immense overreaction.
The cull has not occurred yet, raising questions as to where the photos of the slaughtered dogs have come from. In addition, officials state that the “Boycott Kerala” campaign has not created any effect on tourism in the state yet.
I am one of those people who love dogs more than human beings. I can only hope that the government does not slaughter the stray dogs. Send them to loving families and give them a home—they’re not man’s best friend for no reason.
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