CELEBRITIES WISH PETA INDIA HAPPY 20TH ANNIVERSARY CAMPAIGNING FOR ANIMAL RIGHTS

Group Celebrates Two Decades of Ending Animal Tests, Rescuing Animals, Stamping Out Leather, and More

MuUMBAI, 13th January 2020 (GNI): This month marks People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India’s 20th anniversary – and in just two decades, the organisation has used eyewitness investigations, colourful campaigns, youth outreach, volunteer celebrity support, and other means to achieve numerous landmark victories for animals.

Long-time PETA India pal John Abraham, who has worked with the group on issues ranging from supporting a ban on animal circuses to speaking out against the caging of birds and more, says, “Congratulations, PETA India, on 20 years of drastically improving life for countless animals and making the world a kinder place for everyone. Working with PETA India since your beginning has been an extremely important part of my life as a passionate animal rights defender.”

Meanwhile, Sidharth Malhotra, who starred in a print campaign in favour of dog sterilisation for PETA India, says, “I love animals, and it has been a great pleasure for me to be associated with PETA India. They have been doing tremendous work for the welfare of the animals in India, and it is extremely important for us to look after these innocent beings. Wish you guys a happy 20th anniversary!”

PETA India’s many achievements for animals include the following:

· Replacing the cruel Draize test, in which chemicals are applied to rabbits’ eyes or shaved skin, with non-animal cosmetics testing methods

· Rescuing numerous elephants, horses, and other animals from circuses; encouraging seven circuses to go animal-free; and encouraging the central government to draft a proposed ban on using animals in circuses across the country

· Rescuing and rehabilitating abused captive elephants Sunder, Ram Prasad, and Gajraj from lives in chains after their stories prompted national outcries

· Persuading Cleartrip to stop promoting animal rides

· Stopping numerous illegal bullock cart races

· Ending animal dissection in undergraduate and most post-graduate training

· Helping labourers replace overworked bullocks and horses with modern e-rickshaws

· Working with local law enforcement to pursue cruelty charges against animal abusers, seize painful spiked bits used to control horses used in weddings, and confiscate bird-killing, glass-coated manja

· Implementing PETA’s humane education programme, Compassionate Citizen, in schools across India

· Encouraging the Central Board of Secondary Education to send an advisory to all its 18,000 affiliated schools across India strongly urging them to implement a policy that bans students and staff members from wearing leather shoes in favour of animal- and Earth-friendly canvas ones

To celebrate, Madhuri Dixit-Nene posted, “It’s safe to say that PETA India has made a real difference when it comes to animal rights, and I am proud to say that I support its cause. Congratulations on 20 years of ground-breaking work, PETA India! #PetaIndiaTurns20 @PetaIndia”

Other celebrities including Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Kartik Aaryan, Rajkummar Rao, Suniel Shetty, Sunny Leone, Vijender Singh and others also took to social media to celebrate PETA India’s anniversary.

“For the last 20 years, PETA India has worked hard to spread the message that animals aren’t ours to experiment on, eat, wear, use for entertainment, or abuse in any other way. Every year, more and more people agree that animals should be respected, not exploited – and we’ll continue to work until all of us see animals as someone, not something,” says Dr Manilal Valliyate, PETA India’s CEO, stated in the press release.

PETA India opposes speciesism, which is a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit PETAIndia.com.