When he's not acting, producing and modelling, Arjun Rampal makes time to help animals, including joining PETA in a successful call for relief for bullocks, who were once forced to haul kerosene carts in Mumbai. Now, Arjun is appealing to the Municipal Commissioner of Mumbai to ban horse-drawn carriages in the city, calling the industry "a perpetual cycle of abuse".

Horses in Mumbai are worked to exhaustion, and many collapse. When they are too tired and sick to continue, they are whipped. Horses develop crippling lameness and chronic illnesses, for which they rarely receive veterinary care. The ramshackle stables in which they are housed are unlicensed and filthy and offer little protection from the elements or biting insects. As Arjun says, "The manner in which these magnificent animals are treated is a crime". 

Please ask Mumbai's Municipal Commissioner to ban horse-drawn carriages.

Bowing to pressure from PETA and after hearing from the statutory body Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), Jaipur's Elephant Festival has been changed so that elephants are not used. This means that elephants will not be forced to give rides or participate in tug-of-war and polo matches. 

Elephants used in public displays are controlled through the use of ankuses – heavy batons with a sharp hook on the end – or wooden sticks. Elephants comply because they know they will be hit if they don't. When not performing, they spend most of their lives chained by two or more legs, barely able to take a step in any direction.

In response to a PETA complaint, the AWBI weighed in on the matter, agreeing that the event was not only illegal (since organisers failed to apply for or receive the proper approval) but also not in the best interests of the elephants.

The festival will still offer fun events like races, a turban tying competition, human tug-of-war, fireworks and great music. And it will be all the more entertaining since dispirited, depressed elephants won't be forced to participate.

If a local event in your area exploits elephants or other animals, speak out! Even "traditions" can and do change for the better. 

While almost all of us have fallen victim to a good-natured April Fools' prank at one time or another, this year PETA has an idea for a "trick" that's really a "treat": fool your family (or yourself) with delicious mock meat.

Unlike conventional meat, vegan meat is high in healthy plant protein and fibre, low in saturated fat and free of cholesterol. Simply substitute versatile vegan meat in any recipe that calls for animal flesh. With its fooled-you flavour, you'll never know the difference!

Here are two recipes to try:

Tease Your Taste Buds Thai Red 'Chicken'

2 tsp olive oil

500 g mock chicken pieces

2 Tbsp red Thai curry paste

1 cup zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and sliced

1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips

1/2 cup carrots, sliced

1 onion, diced

1 Tbsp cornstarch

1 can light coconut milk

Cilantro, chopped

• Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the mock chicken pieces and sauté for 10 minutes.
• Add the curry paste, zucchini, bell pepper, carrot and onion. Cook, stirring, for a few minutes more.
• Dissolve the cornstarch in the coconut milk. Add this mixture to the pan, bring to a boil and simmer over medium heat for 2 minutes.
• Stir in the cilantro and serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings

This recipe was adapted from http://allrecipes.com/recipe/thai-red-chicken-curry/. 

Better-Than-Chicken Kolhapuri

2 Tbsp chilli powder

2 Tbsp turmeric powder

2 Tbsp ginger paste

2 Tbsp garlic paste

10 small pieces mock chicken

1 Tbsp cumin seeds

1 tsp fenugreek seeds

3 Tbsp coriander seeds

2 tsp white poppy seeds

1 tsp sesame seeds

1/2 cup desiccated coconut

5 cloves

5 green cardamom pods

5 black peppercorns

5 cinnamon sticks

1 cup onions, chopped and fried

Oil, for sautéing

1 pinch asafoetida

6 whole red chillies, fried

1 tomato, diced

1 1/2 cups water

Juice 3 lemons

Coriander leaves, for garnish

• Combine the chilli powder, turmeric powder and ginger and garlic pastes. Marinate the mock chicken in this mixture for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Roast the cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, coriander seeds, white poppy seeds, sesame seeds, coconut, cloves, cardamom pods, black pepper and cinnamon.
• Place the fried onions and the roasted spices in a blender or food processor. Blend with a little water to make a smooth paste.
• Heat a little cooking oil in a sauté pan. Add the asafoetida, whole red chillies and tomato and sauté lightly. Add the onion mixture and continue cooking.
• Add the marinated mock chicken and sauté for another 2 minutes. Add 11/2 cups of water and cook over low heat until the mock chicken is heated through. Add the lemon juice and stir well.
• Spoon onto a serving platter, garnish with coriander leaves and serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings

This recipe was adapted from http://cooks.ndtv.com/recipe/show/chicken-kolhapuri-176180.

The festival of Holi signifies joy, love, happiness and friendship. Share the sentiment of the holiday by showing love and respect for animals too: pledge to drink vegan thandai.

To meet the demand for milk and other dairy products, cows and buffaloes are raised on factory farms and spend most of their days confined to tiny stalls. Many farmers inject these animals with the illegal drug oxytocin, believing that the drug will cause the animals to produce unnaturally large quantities of milk. Animals injected with oxytocin often suffer from severe stomach cramps that are similar to labour pains. So that humans can consume cow's milk, calves are often torn away from their mothers or simply abandoned or sold for slaughter.

Also, cow's milk is for cows, not humans. It does a body good to avoid milk and other dairy products. Dairy consumption contributes to the onset of diabetes, obesity and respiratory problems. Soya milk is not only the smart choice but also the kind choice, and it is just one alternative to animal milk. You can also enjoy coconut, rice and almond milks on cereal, in coffee, tea and shakes and in sweets – such as thandai!

Vegan Thandai

1/2 Tbsp aniseed

1 Tbsp almonds

1 Tbsp dried watermelon seeds

1/2 Tbsp poppy seeds

1/4 cup fresh rose petals

2 cups water

1 litre soya milk

3/4 cup sugar

10-12 peppercorns

1/2 tsp cardamom powder

2-3 strands saffron

• Soak the aniseed, almonds, watermelon seeds, poppy seeds and rose petals in 1 cup of water for around 4hrs.
• Boil the soya milk and let cool.
• Grind the soaked ingredients to make a smooth paste. Mix in 1 cup of water.
• Pour through a muslin strainer into a large pitcher. Add the sugar, peppercorns, cardamom and saffron and mix well.
• Pour in the soya milk and chill for 1 hour.

Make 3 servings 

Bollywood hottie Jacqueline Fernandez and Lakmé Fashion Week have teamed up with PETA India to promote the adoption of dogs who are languishing in animal shelters or living in the streets. The theme for the campaign is "Fashion for Paws Not a Faux Pas. Rescuing Dogs Makes the Best Fashion Statement".

"Nothing is more rewarding than giving a lonely dog or cat a new lease on life", says Fernandez, who has also joined with PETA to urge the Mumbai government to ban horse carriages from the city. "These animals are eager for acceptance and love, and the best part is that they also enjoy returning it!"

Across India, stray dogs and cats struggle to survive on the streets while countless other dogs and cats languish in animal shelters for lack of enough good homes. People can bring joy into the life of a homeless dog or cat – and into their own lives – by adopting a lovable and loving homeless animal. 

Make a difference for homeless dogs! You can also sign our pledge to choose to adopt if you have the time, space and resources to care for a dog or cat. Always get your animal companions sterilised!

Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) has teamed up with PETA India to promote the adoption of dogs who are languishing in shelters or living on the street. The theme for the campaign is "Fashion for Paws Not a Faux Pas. Rescuing Dogs Makes the Best Fashion Statement":

Countless stray dogs and cats struggle to survive on the streets. Many of them starve to death or are injured, hit by vehicles or abused. Others are left to languish in animal shelters because there aren't enough good homes for them. So, to take a bite out of the homeless-animal crisis, PETA encourages everyone to have their animal companions sterilised.

Compassion never goes out of style. You can also make a difference by choosing to adopt a homeless dog or cat if you have the time, space and resources to do so. Additionally, always get your animal companions sterilised in order to avoid contributing to the number of homeless dogs and cats.

After hearing from PETA India, the Dental Council of India Officiating Secretary Dr SK Ojha has informed us that animals will no longer be used to teach both undergraduate and postgraduate dental students.

Writes Ojha, "I am directed to say that the Executive Committee of the Dental Council of India in its meeting held on 22^nd February 2013 at New Delhi considered [PETA India's] email dated 8.2.2013 thereby inter-alias asking to remove the procedures that required the use of animals from the practical curriculum for training dental students and after discussion & deliberations decided [not to] promote/use … animals for teaching & training dentistry to the dental students."

The Dental Council of India joins the Medical Council of India, the Pharmacy Council of India and the University Grants Commission which – following an extensive PETA campaign and efforts by progressive scientists, MP Maneka Gandhi and other caring groups or individuals – were issued guidelines by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) to stop dissection and experimentation on animals for training both undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Wrote MoEF Secretary Dr Tishya Chatterjee, "Now a days effective alternatives in the form of CD's, computer simulations, mannikin/models, in-vitro methods, etc. are available and they are not only effective and absolute replacements to the use of animals in teaching anatomy/physiology but they are also superior pedagogic tools in the teaching of Pharmacy/Life sciences".

Despite these guidelines, several universities continue to use animals. PETA has forwarded several complaints received from whistleblowers to the Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experimentation on Animals.

Ready to cut out classroom dissection? Teachers and professors, request your free virtual dissection software today! (Please note that this offer is available only to educators in India.)

Just in time for Lakmé Fashion Week, PETA India is launching our new "PETA-Approved Vegan" logo by recognising the best cruelty-free contributions to the fashion world with our first-ever "PETA-Approved Vegan Fashion Awards", honouring the creators and producers of brilliant animal-friendly designs.

And the winners are:

Most Stylish Men's Evening Wear: Rohit Bal

Most Stylish Women's Evening Wear: Gavin Miguel

Most Stylish Men's Casual Wear: Wendell Rodricks

Most Stylish Women's Casual Wear: Rohit Gandhi and Rahul Khanna

Most Stylish Lehenga: Vikram Phadnis

Most Stylish Salwar Kameez: Abu Jani & Sandeep Khosla

Most Stylish Sherwani: Anita Dongre

Most Stylish Men's Jacket: Shantanu & Nikhil

Most Stylish Women's Jacket: So Fake

Most Stylish Kurti: Anupamaa Dayal

Most Stylish Women's Wallet: Rocky S

Most Stylish Men's Wallet: Baggit

Most Stylish Women's Handbag: Guess

Most Stylish Men's Bag: Nike

Most Stylish Women's Shoes: Rinaa Shah

Most Stylish Men's Shoes: Jack & Jones

Most Stylish Women's Sneakers: Adidas

Most Stylish Men's Sneakers: Puma

Most Stylish Women's Belt: Vero Moda

Most Stylish Men's Belt: Fastrack

Most Stylish Women's Watch: Casio

Most Stylish Men's Watch: Seiko

Most Talented New Designer: Masaba Gupta

Best Vegan Company for Accessories: V-Designs

Best Vegan Company for Men: Compassion Avenue

Best Vegan Company for Shoes: Senso Vegetarian Shoes

Best Vegan Company for Handbags: Princesse K

To make sure that it's super-easy to find great clothing and accessories that don't cause animals to suffer, designers and retailers can connect with PETA about using our new logo on vegan goods in order to help shoppers identify the fabulous cruelty-free items that they offer. If you're a designer or retailer interested in using this logo, please write to us at Info@petaindia.org.

So shoppers, just remember to look for PETA's new logo to find hot styles made from pleather, faux silk, fake snake and other cruelty-free fabrics!

You've seen us win campaigns, admired our stunning celebrity ads, taken notice of our eye-catching demonstrations on the streets, watched our hard-hitting undercover investigations, listened to our campaigners talk about animal rights issues on TV and taken action with us online, but have you ever met the person behind all this work? Today, 8 March, is International Women's Day, so we thought it was the perfect occasion to introduce the woman behind our success: Meet Poorva Joshipura!

 Born in the US, Poorva has proved her commitment towards helping animals by working for various PETA affiliates globally before becoming our dynamic Chief Executive Officer. Poorva is also the Vice President of International Affairs for PETA UK, which makes her the youngest vice president of any PETA affiliates.

 Poorva's known for her bold campaigning style. She has personally conducted numerous undercover investigations of slaughterhouses and other facilities in which animals are abused in India, has confined herself to a cage in Nairobi to demonstrate the plight of chickens killed for their flesh and successfully stopped a US-based animal supplier to laboratories from expanding its business to Europe, among other achievements. She was even jailed for disrupting a Michael Kors fashion show during New York Fashion Week to protest against his use of fur.

 Read on to learn what Poorva's got to say:

 How did you end up working for PETA?

For as long as I can remember, I've enjoyed learning about animals. I remember watching wildlife documentaries with my father when I was as young as 3, and I have fond memories of my grandmother as she set out water for birds and squirrels. But when I was young, I ate meat, I wore leather, I used products tested on animals and I went to the zoo and the circus. Although I respected animals, because the use of animals is so entrenched in our society, I did not realise that my daily actions caused a lifetime of suffering and cruelty to animals. That is, until I met a girl in school named Natalie. We became good friends, and she introduced me to literature from PETA US. I vowed never to knowingly harm animals again after reading their Animal Times magazine and decided to go vegan. Natalie now works for PETA Foundation US, while I am the Chief Executive Officer of PETA India.

 What are the challenges that you have faced with being associated with PETA India?

We don't have the big budget of large corporations to help us reach out to people, and the nature of our work is to expose cruelty so hideous that sometimes television networks refuse to air it. As a result, we need to be cutting edge. We rely on our own boldness and creativity to get animal issues noticed. We are not afraid of doing something unusual and often act as billboards ourselves through eye-catching street theatre–style demonstrations. We put animals first and leave personal hang-ups against doing something uncomfortable behind.

 What is it that fires you up about animal rights?

We know a lot more today than we did in the past about animals. We know that they are thinking, feeling, emotional, sensitive beings – just as we are. This makes what we do as a society to animals for a fleeting moment of taste or for a belt or a shoe even more unacceptable.

 Chickens, for example, are inquisitive and interesting animals whose cognitive abilities, scientists now tell us, are in some cases more advanced than those of cats, dogs and even some primates. 

 Fish and Fisheries cited more than 500 research papers on fish intelligence, proving that fish, too, are smart, that they can use tools and that they have impressive long-term memories and sophisticated social structures.

Cows are very intelligent animals who can remember things for a long time. Animal behaviourists have found that cows interact in socially complex ways, developing friendships over time and sometimes holding grudges against other cows (and people) who treat them badly.

 What can people do to help animals?

Log on to PETAIndia.com to take part in action alerts. Volunteer at an animal shelter to take dogs for walks and to help them with adopt-a-thons. Set up an information stall at your college fests (PETA can provide you with materials). Arrange a screening of PETA's investigative videos. You can order a free copy of "Glass Walls", our video exposé of the cruelty of the meat and dairy industries, to show your family and friends. Share PETA's investigative videos online. Encourage people to become a member of PETA India. And most importantly, speak up whenever you see cruelty.

 What keeps you going when you're not at work? What do you like doing in your free time?

I love hanging out with my rescued dog, Mr Mehboob. He was found near Mehboob Studios during a shoot with Celina Jaitly against cruelty to animals in laboratories, thus the name. We go for long walks along the Bandra seafront in Mumbai over the weekends. I love hanging out with family and friends, exploring and learning – by travelling, reading, watching films, trying new cuisines. I'm always up for a new adventure. My favourite, however, is to travel and meet people from different cultures. It's always good to have an opportunity to see life from a different perspective. 

Since her acting debut in the blockbuster Dabangg, Sonakshi Sinha has been capturing film awards non-stop. But now the Bollywood beauty is capturing hearts with a new film that she shot for PETA India urging everyone always to adopt their animals instead of buying them and have them sterilised. The stunning video was directed by top Bollywood director Tarun Mansukhani. Sonakshi’s hair and make-up was done by Nileysh Parmaar.

Sonakshi speaks from experience – she has always rescued her companion animals, including her beloved dog, Nancy, whom Sonakshi spent 14 happy years with before Nancy passed away. As a long-time PETA India supporter, Sonakshi was excited to encourage her fans to experience the joy that comes from saving a cat or dog from the street or offering an animal in a shelter a loving home. 

You can help. Share Sonakshi's video with your family and friends and take this pledge always to have your companion dog or cat sterilized.