COVID Couldn’t Stop Caregivers
When restaurants were shuttered and people were confined to their homes, desi dogs, cats, and other community animals who are dependent on them were in danger of starving. At PETA India’s urging, the Animal Welfare Board of India advised all states and union territories to designate animal caregivers as essential frontline workers and to allocate funds to provide the animals with food and medical treatment.
Police Crack Down on Illegal Sacrifices
All religions call for compassion – none mandate killing. So as Eid-al-Adha approached, PETA India persuaded Manipur’s state police headquarters to order police authorities in all districts to stop illegal transport and killing of animals as sacrifices. Such lifesaving directives can spare goats, sheep, and buffaloes abuse during transport and a violent, terrifying death
Dog Abusers Run But Can’t Hide
In a horrific act of cruelty, four Alwar men tied a dog’s legs together and chopped them off with an axe, causing him to bleed to death. After PETA India got involved, Alwar police arrested the main suspect and his accomplice, and the two other suspects were later arrested as well. We also successfully urged Patiala police to arrest a man suspected of shooting and killing another dog and are pushing for harsh penalties and psychiatric counselling for offenders.
Cart Racers Get Carted to Jail
After a video surfaced on social media showing a group of men whipping and beating horses during an illegal cart race, we worked with Gorai police to find the guilty individuals and ensure that they were arrested.
Deadly Manja Doesn’t Fly
Acting on a tip from PETA India, Delhi police seized hundreds of spools of illegal manja ahead of Independence Day and booked the offenders who were selling it, saving countless birds and other animals from being injured or killed.
Humane Science Saves Guinea Pigs
Following recommendations by PETA India, the Bureau of Indian Standards’ Feeds and Equipment Sectional Committee stopped using guinea pigs to test for the presence of anthrax in animal feed. The newly revised standard for feed safety incorporates a polymerase chain reaction test that better detects anthrax and spares guinea pigs internal bleeding and organ failure.
Illegal Boarding Facility Boarded Up
Working with the Thane Rural Police, we rescued three starving female dogs from an unlicensed and abusive boarding facility in Kalyan. The young dogs had been kept in cramped cages and deprived of adequate food and were covered with ticks. They received immediate veterinary care while the owner of the facility – fearing strict legal action – agreed never to board dogs again.
Rescued Hippo Finds New Life, New Love
The owner of Asiad Circus had lost his exhibitor’s license but refused to relinquish the animals he was forcing to perform. Our legal team successfully petitioned the High Court of Delhi to order the release of a lone male hippopotamus kept in a concrete pen filled with murky water. The hippo was transferred to a spacious home that he shares with his new companion, a female hippo. The court also issued non-bailable warrants against the proprietor of the circus, as he had failed to disclose the status and location of the animal.
Elephants Can Forget About Giving Rides
Following PETA India’s urging, the Rajasthan Forest Department directed the Department of Archaeology and Museums to stop the use of 20 medically unfit elephants forced to give rides at Amer Fort. The elephants included those who had tested positive for tuberculosis, suffered from impaired vision or chronic foot problems, and were old and malnourished. We’ll continue to push for all of the elephants used for rides at the tourist attraction to be released and replaced with electric vehicles.
Karnataka Crushes Cruel Crates
As a result of our appeal, the Karnataka Animal Welfare Board instructed all district deputy directors to prohibit the manufacture, sale, and use of gestation and farrowing crates in pig farming. The cruel devices immobilise mother pigs, and their abolishment will reduce the suffering these gentle animals endure.
Lakmé Makes a Beautiful Stand Against Animal Testing
The country’s number one makeup brand, Lakmé, joined PETA US’ Global Beauty Without Bunnies programme, which certifies cosmetics, personal-care, and household goods companies and brands that don’t test on animals. Lakmé cosmetics now proudly display the programme’s “PETA-Approved Vegan” bunny logo.
From Schoolchildren to Compassionate Citizens
PETA India’s humane education programme, Compassionate Citizen, continues to help children tap into their natural empathy for animals. This interactive programme, which we recently revamped for online learning, has reached almost 90 million students across the country, and Delhi’s Directorate of Education recently issued a fresh circular granting us permission to run it in Delhi government schools.
PETA India Requests Modi: Experiment With This!
After the European Parliament passed a monumental resolution to phase out animal experiments, following input from PETA entities, PETA India presented Prime Minister Narendra Modi with its Research Modernisation Deal, which outlines the failure of studies on animals to lead to treatments and cures for humans and provides a comprehensive strategy for switching to modern, human-relevant methods.
Animal Welfare Board Agrees: Animals Have No Business in Show Business
After a horse died on the set of the Tamil film Ponniyin Selvan, PETA India appealed to the Animal Welfare Board, which issued an advisory to all television and film associations and advertisers to prioritise the use of readily-available computer-generated imagery, visual effects, and animatronics over forcing live animals to perform.
Abusive Dog Café Bites the Dust
When we discovered that dogs were reportedly being caged, hit, and denied adequate food at Puppy Cuddles Dog Café, we alerted the Maharashtra Animal Welfare Board and the Mumbai District Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which led to the exploitive facility being shut down.
Parakeets Get a Reason to Sing
Acting on a PETA India complaint, the West Bengal Forest Department confiscated four parakeets who were being kept caged in two homes in violation of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. The birds were taken to the forest department’s rescue centre for rehabilitation and release while authorities filed a report against their captors. We also tipped off the Lucknow police and forest department to 11 more parakeets in need of being rescued from illegal traders in a bird market. Authorities found the birds crammed into a small plastic bag, jostling for air and space, and arrested the seller. The birds were taken in by the forest department for veterinary care and release.
These are just a few of our achievements in 2021, which also included assisting police with more than 2,500 cruelty cases and responding to more than 90,000 calls for help.
If you are not yet an official member of PETA India, please join us today to support our vital work on behalf of animals. Just Rs. 1,000 entitles you to an annual membership and a subscription to our magazine, Animal Times.
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