Twenty years ago, PETA India was founded on the simple principle that animals are not ours to experiment on, eat, wear, use for entertainment, or abuse in any other way. Our staff, members, and supporters are dedicated to improving life for animals who bear the brunt of human greed and gain. We‘ve been busy, and the tide is turning. Society is recognising crucial issues such as the way killing animals is killing the planet and that animals are intelligent, sensitive beings who deserve our respect. Here are just some of PETA India‘s victories from the last 20 years to prove it:
Animals Aren't Ours to Experiment On
- We helped get a ban on animal tests for cosmetics and their ingredients and a ban on the importation of animal-tested cosmetics.
- Similarly, we worked to bring about the ban on testing household products on animals.
- We successfully urged the University Grants Commission to instate a ban on dissecting and experimenting on animals for training purposes in university and college zoology and life-sciences undergraduate and postgraduate courses.
- We helped secure the Dental Council of India’s ban on using animals for student training and similar bans by the Medical Council of India (for undergraduates) and the Pharmacy Council of India for their courses.
- We joined forces to save 70 beagles from being experimented on by a pharmaceutical company.
- We got the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare to ban eye and skin irritation and corrosion tests on rabbits for drug-product testing.
- We collaborated with the Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee to replace certain tests on animals and accept non-animal testing methods for pesticide toxicological evaluations.
- We persuaded the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission to require that companies use a modern, animal-free test for drug contaminants that cause fever instead of subjecting animals to painful injections. The commission has also removed the earlier requirement that companies force guinea pigs and mice to suffer and die in vaccine abnormal-toxicity tests.
- We rescued 37 monkeys and two goats from the National Institute of Virology and 21 monkeys from the National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health.
Animals Aren't Ours to Eat
- We promoted healthy, animal-, and eco-friendly vegan food by sharing recipes, erecting billboards, offering free vegetarian/vegan starter kits, and distributing samples at demonstrations, festivals, and other events.
- We conducted groundbreaking investigations of the meat, egg, and dairy industries – including at Mumbai’s Deonar slaughterhouse – revealing systemic abuse, unhygienic and inhumane conditions, and apparent violations of animal protection laws.
- We created the first-ever landmark video exposé of the Indian meat, egg, and dairy industries, “Glass Walls“, narrated by R Madhavan.
- We were part of a Supreme Court case against the common illegal treatment of animals during transport and slaughter. In addition to ordering a crackdown on illegal slaughterhouses, the court called on states to set up enforcement committees to monitor the treatment of animals used for meat and leather.
- We launched nationwide campaigns raising awareness of the fact that animal agriculture causes climate change.
- We rescued seven camels from execution for Eid al-Adha with help from government officials and local activists.
- We urged Kullu officials to refuse to grant permission for animal sacrifices.
- We worked with Shillong police and locals to rescue dogs from slaughter.
Animals Are Not Ours to Wear
- We released the first-ever hard-hitting exposé of cruelty in the Indian leather trade.
- We joined forces to persuade the Central Board of Secondary Education to issue an advisory to all 18,000 affiliated schools encouraging students and staff members to wear canvas shoes, not leather ones.
- We introduced the “PETA-Approved Vegan” logo to make finding animal-friendly clothing, accessories, and other retail products easy.
- We campaigned to get the Directorate General of Foreign Trade to ban the importation of reptiles’ skin and certain furs.
- We worked with numerous designers, including Hemant & Nandita, Prasantt Ghosh, Manish Gupta, Mimi & Maggie, and Jayanthi Ballal, on vegan fashion shows.
- We collaborated with Delhi Kids Fashion Week for a vegan event.
Animals Are Not Ours to Use for Entertainment
- We campaigned to free suffering elephants Mariappan, Sunder, Ram Prasad, and Gajraj, who were exploited and neglected by temples, and we worked with Rajasthan authorities to cancel a festival that perpetuates cruelty to elephants.
- We got the Election Commission of India to ban all political parties and candidates from using animals for election campaigns and the National Students’ Union of India to refrain from using animals as part of a rally or protest or for any other purpose.
- We released scathing investigations to push for the Supreme Court’s historic ban on inherently cruel uses of bulls in performances.
- We advocated for the High Court of Bombay’s removal of horse-drawn carriages from Mumbai’s streets.
- We worked with authorities to stop numerous bull races.
- We appealed to online travel service Cleartrip to implement a new animal welfare policy that ends its promotion of animal rides.
Animals Are Not Ours to Abuse in Any Other Way
- We received the Ministry of Human Resource Development and Central Board of Secondary Education’s endorsement of Compassionate Citizen, PETA India’s humane education programme, for textbooks and curricula.
- We teamed up with Tata Power to give teachers from 250 schools free access to Compassionate Citizen materials.
- With the help of two animal welfare organisations, we sterilised over 500 “community cats” in Mumbai.
- We launched the Delhi Mechanisation Project, which replaces overworked bullocks, donkeys, ponies, and horses forced to pull heavy carts with electric rickshaws.
- We filed an intervention application that resulted in the Madras High Court upholding a ban on cruel cosmetic procedures, including tail-docking and ear-cropping, on dogs.
