Animal Equality urges Kolkata authorities to prosecute buffalo abusers

In 2017  Animal Equality introduced its nationwide investigation into dairy farms exposing the cruel and illegal practices conducted routinely for dairy production. The investigation also exposed the abuse inflicted on animals during the  transport of ‘unproductive’ dairy animals to the slaughterhouse. 

As a part of its latest investigation into dairies it was brought to light that these ghastly practices are still followed. Animal Equality team witnessed buffaloes being mercilessly abused while loading them onto a truck outside a dairy in Paglahat village near Kolkata.

What We Found:

• While loading a buffalo onto a truck, three men abused her by violently squeezing her genitals with their hands.
• The men over the course of several minutes mercilessly beat her, twisted her tail and rammed her genitals with a stick causing bleeding injuries and extreme pain.
• They pour water over her mouth and nostrils to make her feel like she is drowning.
• The ramp used for loading the buffaloes onto the truck is positioned at a severe angle not suitable for natural locomotion and therefore it is natural for the buffaloes to struggle to get on to the truck.
• More than 5 buffaloes were crammed on the truck who were subjected to the same abuse.
• The truck did not have the mandated infrastructure arrangements as laid out in the Transport Rules, 1978 and the Central Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. 

WATCH THE VIDEO

What We Are Doing:

Animal Equality submitted evidence of this ghastly incident to  the Animal Welfare Board of India, Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Services and the Calcutta Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

The Animal Welfare Board of India in turn filed a complaint with the Commissioner of Police and forwarded the evidence to the Deputy Commissioner and the Director of state Animal Husbandry. It is disappointing to see that the local authorities have not acted yet.

Amruta Ubale, Senior Director of Public Affairs at Animal Equality, India

How You Can help:

Animal Equality has published a video of this cruel incident along with a petition addressed to the Kolkata Commissioner of Police with an appeal to book these men. The petition states that these cruel acts  are a clear violation of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act of 1960. In addition, several other legal violations can be seen in the footage. The vehicle the buffalos are loaded onto contains no permanent partitions in the body of the vehicle that carry the buffalos individually, in violation of the Central Motor Vehicles Act of 2016. The buffalo are not properly secured, which is a violation of the West Bengal Motor Vehicle Act, and the truck has no padding or tail board in violation of the Transport of Animal Rules of 1978.

You can help us by signing and sharing our petition asking the local authorities to book the men responsible. By sharing our investigations, you help us expose the truth about the industry, create public awareness, and convince policymakers to change the laws to protect animals born into a cycle of abuse and suffering.

Millions of buffaloes and cows are subjected to this abuse everyday across India. You can help save them by eliminating dairy from your diet.