'SKINNED COW' AND 'SKINNED HORSE' LIE IN SHOE BOX TO DECLARE, 'LEATHER IS REAL SUFFERING'

For Immediate Release:

22 October 2009

Contact:

Nikunj Sharma (0) 9967766220; NikunjS@petaindia.org

New Delhi -- In front of the Delhi International Leather Fair on Friday, PETA members dressed as a "skinned cow" and a "skinned horse" will lie on an open shoe box which bears a tag reading, "Real Suffering", to protest against the cruel leather industry. PETA aims to show that leather is dead skin, and the group also wants to raise awareness of how animals are treated before they are turned into leather shoes, bags and other products. PETA encourages shoppers to choose synthetic and natural-fibre materials instead of animal skin:

Date:    Friday, 23 October

Time:    12 noon–1 pm

Place:   Pragati Maidan, New Delhi

Buying leather contributes directly to the misery that animals endure in slaughterhouses. The vast majority of animals used for their skin are deprived of everything that is natural and important to them, and they suffer painful mutilations, physical abuse and cruel treatment. Animals killed for their flesh and skin are often dismembered and skinned while they are still conscious. In India, even the most basic animal protection laws are ignored by the leather industry. Leather tanneries also wreak havoc on the environment, and the pollution they release has been linked to cancer, respiratory infections and other illnesses in humans.

"Bags, belts and shoes made of dead skin should be shunned, not celebrated and promoted at a fair", says PETA's Nikunj Sharma. "Because wearing animal skins supports unimaginable cruelty, we ask everyone to think before they buy and to leave leather out of their wardrobe. It is easy to choose products made from materials such as cotton, jute, satin and synthetics -- all of which are humane options that do not contribute to the cruel leather industry."

Synthetic "leather" and other animal-friendly options are available at just about any major shoe or clothing shop.

For more information, please visit PETAIndia.com.

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