Meghalaya Government Orders Major Animal Welfare Reforms Following PETA India Appeal

For Immediate Release:

19 July 2022

Contact:

Hiraj Laljani; [email protected]

Farhat Ul Ain; [email protected]

Shillong – Following an appeal from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India to prohibit the manufacture, sale, and use of gestation and farrowing crates in pig farming, as well as deadly glue traps used for rodent control, the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department, Government of Meghalaya, has issued circulars prohibiting the manufacture, sale, and use of these torture devices.

A copy of the orders issued by the Meghalaya government is available upon request.

“PETA India applauds the Meghalaya government for these progressive reforms, which could spare countless mother pigs severe confinement and many rodents and other animals hideously slow, painful deaths,” says PETA India Advocacy Associate Farhat Ul Ain. “By taking these steps to protect animals, Meghalaya has set an example for the entire country to follow.”

Gestation crates (aka “sow stalls”) are metal cages essentially the size of a pig, with concrete or slatted floors, that leave the animals unable to turn around or even stand up without difficulty. They’re used to confine pregnant pigs, who are typically transferred to farrowing crates to give birth and are kept in them until their piglets are taken away. Farrowing crates are fundamentally the same as gestation crates, except that they contain small side compartments for piglets.

Glue traps are usually made of plastic trays or sheets of cardboard covered with strong glue and are indiscriminate killers, often catching non-target animals – including birds, squirrels, reptiles, and frogs. Mice, rats, and other animals caught in these traps can die of hunger, dehydration, or exposure after days of prolonged suffering. Others may suffocate when their noses and mouths become stuck in the glue, while some even chew through their limbs in a desperate bid for freedom and die from blood loss. Those found alive may be thrown away along with the trap or may face an even more traumatic death, such as by bludgeoning or drowning.

PETA India – whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way” – notes that pigs are intelligent, social animals who should not be exploited and that the best way to control rodent populations is to make an area unattractive or inaccessible to them. Eliminate food sources by keeping surfaces and floors clean, and store food in chew-proof containers. Seal trash cans, and use ammonia-soaked cotton balls or rags to drive rodents away. (They hate the smell.) After giving them a few days to leave, seal entry points using foam sealant, steel wool, hardware cloth, or metal flashing. Rodents can also be removed using humane cage traps but must be released near where they were found – animals relocated outside their natural territory struggle to find adequate food, water, and shelter and can die as a result.

For more information, please visit PETAIndia.com or follow the group on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

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