For Immediate Release:
April 7, 2000
Contact:
Poorva Joshipura 757-622-7382
Washington, D.C. -- Yesterday afternoon, members of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) "bludgeoned" a "cow" outside the Indian Embassy in Washington, D.C., to call attention to the cruel transportation of cows in India’s international leather and meat trade.
Although India has strict laws regarding the humane slaughter of cows that make it illegal to kill the animals in most states, corrupt skin-traders use bribes to smuggle the animals across borders at night. The cows and calves, who are bought under the false pretense that they’ll live out their lives on rural farms, are marched to slaughter for days without food or water. Those who collapse from exhaustion or injury have their eyes smeared with chili peppers and tobacco and their tails broken in an effort to keep them moving. Finally, they are crammed into lorries, causing many to suffer neck injuries, be gored by other cows, or suffocate to death, all in direct violation of the Constitution of India.
Color photos of the protest are available at the following ftp site: ftp://63.89.54.155
