The other day, the Animal Welfare Board of India made a fervent appeal to everyone to celebrate February 14 as Cow Hug Day. As per the board, hugging a cow ensures emotional richness, besides individual and collective happiness.

Netizens are trolling the suggestion, calling it unscientific and nothing but quackery. However, cow-hugging seems to have got a very large chunk of supporters as well. "Pets have always been known as de-stressors and cats and dogs are the most popular animals as pets. But other animals too, have shown that they act as stress busters and bonding with them, helps humans," says an India Today report, drawing from scientific literature from the West.

Advocate Ishkaran Singh Bhandari says, "In India, the idea of hugging a cow gets mocked by some people. On the other hand, in the US, they pay 75 Dollars (Rs 6,000) per hour to brush, pet, play and hug a cow."

A social media user writes that many urban Indians were mocking Yoga but once the West started talking about its benefits, the very same Indians changed their views accordingly.

In India- mock the idea of Hugging a Cow.

In USA - you pay 75 Dollars ( 6,000 Rupees ) per hour to brush, pet, play & Hug a cow.

— Ishkaran Singh Bhandari (@ishkarnBHANDARI) February 9, 2023