Listening to the Voiceless – World Animal Welfare Day

Listening to the Voiceless – World Animal Welfare Day

Animals are sentient beings. Though not as rational as human beings, they also have evolved nervous systems which makes them capable of feeling pain, understanding emotions and caring for their off-springs. Tetrapod, furry or slimy – they all have the spark of life that exhibits itself through myriad biological characteristics. But, in the fine balance of nature, human arrogance plays the malicious game of dominating the voiceless creeds that are most of the time at their mercy. Tamed for milk, meat or dispelling loneliness and boredom, animals have always been at the service of humans. And in return for all these benefits they demand proper care from their masters. Abuse and cruelty towards animals undermine their natural rights to be loved and cared for. This is why, World Animal Welfare Day is celebrated every year on October 4th to raise awareness globally on the need to treat all animals humanely and compassionately. For this day, My City Links interacted with animal lovers, pet shop owners, pet owners and NGOs – both local and international, to find out the issues facing animal welfare and some recent developments in this field.

The Many forms of Cruelty

The first thing that comes to the mind of any animal lover, when talking about cruelty to animals is animal slaughter. My City Links spoke to Badrikanath Mahapatra, a dog owner and animal lover, who had some strong views about animal slaughter. He said, “Animal slaughter be it for meat or leather is absolutely unethical and immoral. But as the so-called rational animal human being has demand for wearing leather goods and cravings for eating animal meat, at least it should be ensured that animals are not subjected to trauma at the time of killing. For example, goats should not experience the ordeal of seeing another of its kind being slaughtered in front of its eyes.” 

The mindless slaughter of innocent animals in the name of Vedic religion led to the reformations in the form of Buddhist philosophy of compassion towards all sentient beings. Badrikanath shared his views, “Not everyone can start an NGO to look after at-risk animals, not everyone can financially contribute towards the cause of animal welfare. I say that’s fine. But there can be many responsible steps that we can take such as eating less meat, or using cruelty free synthetic leather, so that the demand for animal slaughter in the market can go down.”

Forests are the natural habitats of many wild species of animals. But rapid urbanisation and industrialization has rendered these animals homeless. There is a surge of human-animal conflicts leading to death and loss of either of them. The recent rise in the cases of elephant electrocution in many farms in the outskirts of Bhubaneswar is testimony to this fact. Badrikanath opined, “Nature belongs to everyone, be it animals or man. I think the electrocution incident was deliberate and there should be strict punishment like imprisonment of those involved. But the problem here is that the authorities would not listen to animal rights activists as that won’t garner them votes. It is my view that any crop loss due to elephants should be compensated, so that the farmers don’t put up electric fences in their farms in the name of stopping wild boars.”

Effective strategies by the government have resulted in an increase of tiger population in India, however cases of poaching of wild animals still surface from time to time. But cruelty towards animals doesn’t end with killing. The myriad forms of cruelty that stray animals have to go through is a case in point. Stray animals are abused by humans in every possible way. “Sometimes stray dogs and bulls are pelted with stones, sometimes boiling water is thrown on them. In festivals like Holi they are smeared with toxic colours and sometimes they are beaten mercilessly,” told Badrikanath. 

Wellness of Destitute 

My City Links talked to Rashmi Ranjan Swain, who leads the Wellness of Destitute, an NGO dedicated to the welfare of mostly stray animals. Introducing his organisation, Rashmi Ranjan said, “Wellness of destitute works mostly for the welfare of domestic and stray animals. We have goshalas for stray cattle that face accidents and other problems. We treat them on the spot if necessary, else we let them stay at our goshalas till they are treated. As we don’t have sufficient space, we can’t keep them for long with us.”

Sometimes if the cattle have severe physical impairment then the NGO considers keeping them. Due to season change sometimes the cattle catch pneumonia which causes fever as well as paralysis in them. In that case, Wellness of Destitute provides physiotherapy treatment and diagnosis support for the fever. They also treat stray dogs and cats, and help the government in sterilisation of dogs. 

In cases of animals with broken spines, Wellness of Destitute provides for their shelter. There are cases of cats causing wounds to each other during a fight, which are treated by the NGO. In dogs, when there are such wounds in places where the dog is unable to reach by tongue, there are occurrences of maggots due to flies. Wellness of Destitute treats these conditions as well. They also work with people who have dog shelters in providing them with dog food. Due to paucity of funds, they do it as per their capacity. They don’t get too many pet dogs for treatment as these are taken care of by pet clinics. Wellness of Destitute has around 15 members most of whom work on a voluntary basis. 

Summing up his message, Rashmi Ranjan said, “There are many people who love animals. But there are also some who dislike them. So their behaviour also changes as per that. Every animal is fulfilling a certain role in nature. So as human beings we should respect their individuality and try to live peacefully with them as every being has a right to live. We try to create awareness among people about this, and many people are changing because of it. We distribute brochures on the benefits of cows to stop their abandonment. We tell people that even though a cow is not giving milk, it is still useful as cow dung and urine from them can be used for many purposes.” 

Issues of Pets and Farms

Being a pet owner can be a difficult task, if it has to be done from a welfare perspective. There can be many dimensions to which a pet owner should make provisions for, such as nutrition of the pet animal, ambient environment, shelter, protection from natural elements, veterinary care, and emotional bonding. There can be breed specific issues such as allergies to certain types of food and certain diseases or medical conditions. 

Training of pets requires both skill and sensitivity. Use of force or beating to teach a pet dog necessary skills could be beneficial for them, but care needs to be taken of not being too harsh. Badrikanath explained, “My pet dog doesn’t cooperate whenever I have to give it some medication. So I have to apply force on it, to make it obedient. But I accept that a skillful trainer can persuade a dog to do the necessary tasks without the use of force.” Having an emotional connection with your pets is a mutually beneficial thing for both the pet owners and the pet animal. But many pet owners sometimes reject their pet animals on the roads, being unable to take proper care. Such an action is inhuman as the pet which is used to a domestic environment, cannot find food and protect itself outside in the violent world. 

My City Links also spoke to owner of a pet shop Pet Paradise, located in Nayapalli, Satya Shankar Biswal to inquire about the many issues of pet animals. Satya Shankar said, “We mostly sell dogs. We also sell tortoises, birds, and rabbits. We sell exotic pets that don’t come under the Indian Wildlife Act. Exotic pets are brought from foreign countries and are bred here. Some of them are ball python, iguana, meerkat and sugar gliders. We keep only those types of exotic pets which are suitable to our normal climate.”

As per Satya Shankar, in Odisha there aren’t too many professional training centres for pets. There are individual trainers who go to different pet owner’s houses. The demand for exotic pets is lesser than normal pets. Specialised vet care for exotic pets is also not available in Odisha. So pet owners have to manage on their own. Satya Shankar explained this point, “For example, we as humans don’t always need medical help. Only in case of diseases we are forced to do so. So, owners of exotic pets in Odisha take care of them by doing their own individual research.”

As per Satya Shankar, if exotic pets are kept in a domestic environment through taming, they don’t display wild behaviour. For this the pet owners have to deal with them properly to avoid untoward incidents. Pets only misbehave when they are fearful. Licences and permits are necessary for owning such pets. Satya Shankar said, “We inform our customers to take care of these formalities. But sometimes they don’t follow these regulations. There is a lack of strictness on part of authorities regarding this.”

Coming to the issue of illegal breeding of dogs, Satya Shankar informed, “Illegal breeding is certainly taking place. As per the regulations of the Kennel Club of India, a pet dog should breed only once per year. The necessary documentation should be submitted once a year. As per Govt of India regulations a breeder must register himself. And those who are not breeders but own pets, must neuter these pet animals as per regulations. But people don’t adhere to these norms, which is leading to illegal breeding.”

Satya Shankar added, “Normally people prefer male dogs as pets. When these dogs become violent during their heat, their owners have the notion that they would calm down upon mating. But that is not the case in reality. Mating makes the dogs more aggressive. These hybrid dogs have to be treated by vets in such a condition. There is a lack of awareness among pet owners in India about these aspects.”

When it comes to farm animals, organised dairy and poultry is infamous for extreme animal cruelty. Cows are put under unimaginable stress for increasing the productivity of milk. After having gone through countless ordeals, the diary cattles are rendered shelterless in old age to face the pitiable conditions of heat, dust and rain. Sometimes, they even fall into the trap of cattle smugglers and butchers. Most of these ageing and helpless cows could be found in the outskirts of cities, thanks to urbanisation which has taken away their grazing area. 

Speaking of the cow’s importance in Indian cultural ethos, Badrikanath informed, “Welfare of cattle used to be integrated into the lifestyle of village folks in India. Not long ago, homes which had cattle were considered rich as they were considered a sign of good fortune. Each cattle was given a name and were treated with respect. There are many festivals in Odisha such as Gamha Purnima, which is dedicated to these cattles for creating a bonding with the family members. Bulls used to be left in local Shiva temples, while old cows were never abandoned. They would stay at home like an old member of the family.” Draft animals such as donkeys, mules and oxen are also overburdened with work by their masters for economic gains. Animal welfare centres around compassion towards all of them. 

The PETA Perspective

My City Links got in touch with Sanskriti Bansore, Media and Celebrity Projects Coordinator, PETA India (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals), to understand how they approach the issue of animal welfare. She explained her point of view, “Animals have an inherent worth, just as humans do. Animal welfare also matters because it is intertwined with our own wellbeing. Research shows that people who commit acts of cruelty to animals are often repeat offenders who move on to hurting other animals, including humans, and are a danger to everyone.” 

A study published in the Forensic Research & Criminology International Journal stated, “Those who engage in animal cruelty were three times more likely to commit other crimes, including murder, rape, robbery, assault, harassment, threats, and drug/substance abuse.”

As per Sanskriti, all cruelty to animals stems from speciesism. From the time we are young, most of us are conditioned to view certain species as worthy of care and compassion, like our own species and dogs and cats, and others as unworthy—all based on arbitrary human preferences. This misguided belief is called “speciesism”. 

Owing to this an estimated 92 billion land animals and up to trillions of fish are slaughtered for meat every year. In India, cows, buffaloes, sheep and other animals are crammed into vehicles in such large numbers that many are severely injured or die en route to the slaughterhouse. They are hit, dragged, handled cruelly and illegally and typically denied even the most basic necessities, such as food and water. Chickens are among the most abused animals on the planet. An estimated 1 million chickens are killed to be eaten every four hours in India. Chickens used for meat are confined to cramped, faeces and urine-filled sheds. 

When it comes to lab experimentation, Sanskriti informed, it is estimated that more than 115 million animals—including mice, rats, birds, fish, rabbits, guinea pigs, farm animals, dogs, cats, and non-human primates—are used and/or killed in laboratory experiments each year around the world. These animals are often cut into, drugged, have chemicals smeared on their skin, are forced to inhale or ingest toxic substances or forced to endure pain and suffering in other ways.

PETA entities have released numerous videos revealing that workers hit, kick, and mutilate sheep for their wool during shearing; leave goats with bloody, gaping wounds at mohair and cashmere operations; slit the throats of cows and buffaloes for leather; ram metal rods down conscious crocodiles’ spines in the exotic-skins industry; suffocate, electrocute, and bludgeon animals to death on fur farms; and boil silkworms alive to produce silk. PETA India also noted that turning animal skin into garments requires massive amounts of energy and dangerous chemicals that damage the environment. A Pulse of the Fashion Industry report revealed that leather, silk, and wool are among the most polluting materials in fashion.

Sanskriti informed that there are sadly many ways animals are abused for entertainment. Among them, there are around 2,700 captive elephants in India. Wildlife SOS says, “most could trace their roots to being born wild in one of India’s jungles”.  These intelligent animals are separated from their families traumatically and by force, and are beaten and jabbed with weapons until they lose all hope and obey human commands. Spectacles such as ‘Jallikattu, Kambala’, bull racing and bullfighting are vulgar displays of cruelty. For such events, bulls and buffalo bulls are often yanked by their nose ropes, struck with whips and nail-studded sticks, and their tailbones are deliberately broken by participants to force them to run. During ‘Jallikattu’, many bulls and humans lose their lives as panicked bulls attempt to flee.

Speaking about the Laws against animal cruelty in India, Sanskriti mentioned, “The central law Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act 1960 mandates preventing unnecessary pain and suffering to animals and The Wildlife Protection Act (WPA), 1972 provides protection to native wild animals. There are Rules framed under the PCA Act on various uses of animals but these fall short, as cruelty is inherent in these uses, and therefore, abuses of animals.  It is also cruel to keep wild animals who are meant to live free in jungles in captivity.”

PETA’s activities and Impact

Sanskriti stated, “The meat, leather, experimentation and other industries that use animals work hard to hide the cruelty from the public. PETA India sends in undercover investigators using a variety of creative means to bring the truth to the public. Even if we had a large budget at our disposal to hire high-priced ad agencies and create fancy ad campaigns, since the nature of our work is to expose cruelty, sometimes television networks refuse to air. As a result of the challenges I mentioned, PETA India needs to be cutting-edge. We, therefore, market animal rights in a way that will not only grab people's attention, but keep them interested and thinking about the issues.”

PETA relies very heavily on their own boldness and creativity. “For us, standing out from the crowd means we’re getting attention on serious animal protection issues that would otherwise go unnoticed. But really, we use different tactics to reach different audiences. We conduct hard-hitting undercover investigations, prepare reports, have celebrity volunteers, perform eye-catching street theatre, give talks at schools, and more,” said Sanskriti.

PETA India have donated five life-size mechanical elephants, one of them being Shiva to Jagadguru Sri Veerasimhasana Mahasamsthana Math in Mysore, supported by actors Aindrita Ray and Diganth Manchale, as a means to conduct ceremonies in a safe and cruelty-free manner. PETA India has launched Asia’s first animatronic elephant, Ellie - voiced by actress Dia Mirza. Ellie interacts with students to urge them to be kind, blinking her eyes and flapping her ears just like a real elephant.

Sanskriti informed, “PETA India’s emergency response team which functions 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and 365 days a year, receives approx. 1200-1500 calls every day regarding animal emergencies and cruelty cases involving community animals. There are more than 60 million stray dogs and cats in India, and 8.8 million in animal shelters waiting for good homes. With only scraps to eat, many animals on the street go hungry. Others are killed by vehicles, sustain broken bones and wounds that become infected, or are abused by cruel people. PETA India discourages buying cats and dogs from breeders or pet stores which only exacerbates India’s homeless-animal overpopulation crisis.”

On the negative impact of fishing industry, Sanskriti highlighted, “Each year, the fishing industry also kills vast numbers of non-target animals (referred to by the industry as “bycatch”), including 720,000 seabirds, 300,000 whales and dolphins, and 345,000 seals and sea lions, and 100 million sharks.”

Last year, in honour of Gandhi Jayanti, PETA India offered free simulation software to India’s pharmacology educators. PETA India also introduced a unique VR experience called ‘Alien Abduction’ where the user is abducted and experimented on, to show them what happens to the animals who are also abused for experimentation.

On the use of technology, Sanskriti explained, “While lab-grown meat has yet to become popularised, food technologists have helped bring many vegan meats, vegan eggs and vegan milks to the market. And now mangos, sugarcane and other plants are being used to make leather.”

Odisha is one of the latest of 29 states and union territories to issue directives against cruel and illegal sticky traps. Odisha joined numerous other states and UTs in prohibiting the confinement of mother pigs to crates following a push from PETA India. In 2020, PETA India awarded Odisha’s former CM, Naveen Patnaik, a Hero to Animals award for allocating funds to feeding community animals during the lockdown. To mark World Oceans Day (8 June 2024), PETA India erected billboard in Bhubaneswar that shows a turtle ensnared in plastic netting as a reminder that killing fish also costs turtles their lives. 

“PETA India says that going vegan is the best way to stop all these atrocities,” Sanskriti concluded. Six decades ago, the Great Sparrows Campaign in China to kill all sparrows for increasing agricultural productivity led to massive ecological imbalance and consequently the Great Chinese Famine that occurred from 1959 to 1961, causing deaths of tens of millions of human beings. Animal welfare requires acknowledging that every species has an important role to play in the delicate balance of nature. This makes our sensitivity not only humane but also scientific.