‘Are You Wearing My Mother?’ PETA India’s New AI-Powered Robot Calf Confronts Chandigarh Shoppers Ahead of National Parents’ Day
Ahead of National Parents’ Day (26 July), PETA India brought its AI-powered robot calf, Jeev, to Chandigarh to engage leather-clad shoppers with the poignant question, “Are you wearing my mother?” The realistic-looking robot calf, which features a state-of-the-art 3D-printed head, highlighted how mother cows are torn from their calves, who are then killed for leather—and also broke into a celebratory dance whenever someone proclaimed they were wearing shoes, clothing, or accessories made of vegan leather. Those who stopped to have a compassionate conversation with Jeev and pledged to choose kindness also received a rose as a symbol of empathy for animals.
Every leather handbag, jacket, and pair of shoes is the skin taken from a thinking, feeling being who suffered a terrifying and violent death. Yet cows and buffaloes used for leather are often crammed into vehicles in such large numbers that their bones break. Those who survive the gruelling journey to the slaughterhouse endure agonising deaths: their throats are cut in full view of other animals, and many are dismembered while they’re still conscious.
Leather production also destroys the planet, as turning animals’ skin into leather uses harsh chemicals like chromium, which poison waterways and are toxic to human tannery workers.
Vegan leather and other animal-friendly options are available nationwide in nearly all major clothing and shoe shops. The global “PETA-Approved Vegan” certification authenticates clothing, handbags, shoes, accessories, furniture, and home decor items made from vegan materials. Over 1,000 companies worldwide are using the “PETA-Approved Vegan” logo to enable socially conscious consumers in India and elsewhere to identify vegan products at a glance while shopping.
PETA India urges shoppers to honour all mothers—including cows—by choosing vegan materials widely available today.
