American Influencer ‘Skinned Alive’ in Pune in Protest Against Cow and Buffalo Butchery for Shoes, Bags
Shoppers and passersby at FC Road, Pune, met with a shocking sight as PETA India supporter and American social media influencer Jamie Logan was gruesomely “skinned alive” by a butcher as she protested that “We are all someone, not somethings.” The powerful demonstration—that happened in front of a massive banner featuring a slaughterhouse scene with the words “Relate to Their Fate”— delivered the message that cows, buffaloes, and other animals exploited for leather suffer fear and pain and fight for their lives, just as any humans would, and that humans must respect them and not reduce them to accessories.
“Every leather bag and shoe is made from the skin of someone who loved their family, valued their life, and didn’t want to die. PETA India encourages everyone to choose only items made from beautiful vegan materials.”
– Jamie Logan
Cows and buffaloes are fiercely protective mothers who exhibit complex social bonds and experience empathy for other members of their herd. Cows have excellent memories and can navigate and remember mazes quite well. When used for leather, these animals are often crammed into vehicles in such large numbers that their bones break. Slaughterhouse workers cut the throats of those who survive this ordeal in full view of other animals before dismembering and skinning them, often while they’re still conscious. Run-off from leather tanneries contaminates rivers and streams, harming all life there. Working in tanneries has also been linked to cancer, respiratory infections, and other illnesses in humans.
Vegan leather and other animal-friendly options are available nationwide in nearly all major shoe and clothing shops. The global “PETA-Approved Vegan” certification authenticates handbags, shoes, clothing, accessories, furniture, and home decor items made from vegan materials rather than animal body parts such as leather, silk, wool, fur, and feathers. Over 1,000 companies worldwide use the “PETA-Approved Vegan” logo to help socially conscious consumers in India and elsewhere identify vegan products at a glance while shopping.
Jamie is a New Yorker with a knack for shaking things up. She’s a fiercely funny and original voice known for her animal rights videos and YouTube show “Jamie’s Corner”. Her bold activism took centre stage when she disrupted the 2023 Coach fashion show, taking to the runway to spread the word about how leather kills. She also hosts a PETA US-produced podcast, “Just So You Know,” with her cohost, Justina.
