On March 30, Facebook user Rajiv Haksar shared a story that involved a dog saving a newborn baby from a garbage dump.
Facebook: rajiv.haksar.3
The story claimed that an Indian stray dog had picked up a newborn from a street dump, dropped it off at a house, and kept barking till someone opened the door. It also said that the baby is now fine.
The story went hugely viral, getting over 10,000 shares in just a few days, and thousands of impassioned comments.
Here's the thing, if you've been on the internet long enough, this series of images might seem familiar to you...
Because it's already been reported to have taken place in Saudi Arabia...
And Brazil...
AND Oman...
360nobs.com
In fact, the first report of the dog rescue dates back to October, 2015.
TL;DR – This story didn't happen recently and it DEFINITELY didn't happen in India.
In fact, "stray dog rescues newborn baby" is a common trope for viral hoax stories around the world.
Stray dogs have rescued babies in Argentina and Kenya before. However, the majority of these stories are unsubstantiated and unsourced.
A little more authenticity next time please, internet.
Integrated Films / Via Imaan Sheikh
