ADOPT AN INDIAN DOG

BY

MANEKA GANDHI

…. It is wrong to support breeding in India because millions of natural Indian dogs better suited, emotionally and physically, to the climate and country are being killed by the govt. Only because they are homeless. If even 1 in 50 people were to adopt a dog from the road there would be no more homeless dogs at the mercy of dog catchers and death squads.

Intelligent people who do not need to prove anything are much happier with Indian dogs. Confident successful people do not need to flaunt their pets as status symbol.

There are a million reasons to keep dogs. And one of them is probably on the street right outside your house. Take him in and like all good stories, let this one too end with a happy beginning.

Live and help Live.

People for Animals has initiated an "Adopt an Indian Dog Campaign".

Please support it.

Why get an Alsatian, Doberman or a Pomeranian when you can have them all!

Get everything you are looking for in the all - in - one Indian dog.

If you do not have a place in your home, make room in your heart, SPONSOR a dog. Every PFA unit has dogs that need homes or sponsors.

You can choose your dog at our shelter. We will send you the name and details and you are encouraged to visit whenever you can.

HOW TO WIN AN ARGUMENT WITH A MEAT –EATER

The Hunger Argument.

• Percentage of protein wasted by Cycling grain through livestock: 90
• How frequently a child dies as a result of malnutrition : once every 2.3 seconds
• Kilos of potatoes that can be grown on 1 hectare of land: 22, 417.
• Kilos of meat that can be produced on 1 hectare of land: 185

The Fitness Argument

• Optimal diet for fitness training as documented in medical studies; a high carbohydrate diet which optimizes storage of carbohydrates in the body, thus fuelling the body for exercise and supporting performance in both the endurance and the strength athlete.
• Optimal sources of carbohydrates: whole grains, fruits and vegetables.
• A diet which relies on animal products for protein increases the risk of the following diseases: osteoporosis, certain cancers and kidney disease.
• Optimal source of protein : whole grains, vegetables and pulses.
• Diet of six time Ironman Trialthon winner Dava Scott, nine time wimbledon winner Martina Navratilova and international cricket star Anil kumble: Vegetarian.

The Healthy Heart Argument

• Expected increase in incidence of heart disease in India by 2015, according to the world Health Organisation: 100%
• The food constituents that are most commonly linked with heart disease: fat and cholesterol.
• Foods that are high in cholesterol and fat: meat, eggs,milk and milk products.
• Amount of cholesterol found in fruits, vegetables, grains and pulses: none.
• The only diet proven to help reverse heart disease: a pure vegetarian diet.

The Cancer Prevention Argument

• Expected increase in incident of cancer in India by 2015, according to the world health organization: 200%
• The single greatest factor causing the epidemic of cancer , according to the U.S. National research council: Non-vegetarian diet.
• Food constituents that help protect against cancer: Dietary fiber, beta carotene, vitamin C & E.
• The foods in which these cancer-fighting nutrients are principally found: whole grains(Chapati, breads}, pulses, fruits and dark green and yellow vegetables.

The Natural Resource Argument

• What the Worldwatch Institute has to say about water usage in India: “India is pumping underground water faster than it can be replenished, threatening a drop in water tables, irrigation supplies and food production ………India like Africa may soon face decline in life expectancy.”
• Litres of water necessary to produce 1 Kilo of wheat:209
• Litres of water necessary to produce 1 kilo of meat: 20,861.
• Amount of water used by the average meat-eater compared to the average vegetarian: 16 times as much.
• Amount of land used to produce meat through intensive farming compared to the amount of land necessary to produce vegetables food: 20 times as much.
• Number of years the world’s known oil reserves would last if every human ate a meat centred diet: 13
• Number of years the world’s known oil reserves would last if human beings no longer ate meat: 260

The Ethical Argument

• Conditions animals live in on India’s factory farms: dark, crowded buildings where they never see the sun or breathe fresh air.
• Overcrowded conditions on India’s factory farms: Animals are crammed into cages and stalls so small that they can barely turn around. Egg laying chickens are crowded as tightly as five birds in a space no longer large than that of a folded newspaper.
• Treatment of animals transported to slaughter by lorry: Goats and cows are routinely crowded into lorries so tightly that they accidentally gouge each other with their horns or crush each other when they collapse. Many animals sustain broken bones on the rocky road to slaughter.
• Treatment of animals transported by foot: Marched animals are often denied food and water. Animals are beaten and have their tails broken to keep them moving.
• Condition in which animals arrive at the slaughterhouse: Some animals arrive dead or too sick even to stand. Animals too sick to be fit for slaughter sometimes languish for days before they are killed or die.
• How animals are slaughtered: Animals have their throats slit , sometimes with dull, rusty knives. In some instances, goats, sheep and cows have thir legs hacked off or skinned while sill alive.

The Survival Argument

• The diet of most powerful animals on the planet, including gorillas, elephants and bulls: Pure vegetarian.
• The life expectancy of vegetarians compared to non-vegetarians: Vegetarians live, on average, six extra years.

(Courtesy: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, PETA)

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DID YOU KNOW THAT BEAUTY CAN CAUSE CRUELTY?

Did you know that many cosmetics we use everyday like shampoo, face creams, talcum powders, lipsticks, soaps and aftershaves are tested on animals before they are considered safe for us to use? The animals on which these products are tested go through untold suffering. After repeated torture they sometimes die in pain.

In order to find out whether a cosmetic is safe for humans, sensitivity tests is dripped into the eyes of rabbits, whose heads are clamped so that they cannot move .The fur of little guinea pigs is shaved and “aftershave lotion” is splashed on the sensitive skin. The animal is left in this condition for days. Ironically, most of the time these tests do not prove safe for us to use anyway. Besides the same tests could have better results if conducted with tissue culture, where no animal is involved at all.

Did you know that certain things we commonly use like caps, shoes and bags may be made from snake, crocodile or animal skins? These creatures have been killed for their skins with the lest concern about their pain or suffering.

To make brushes the hair of pigs or squirrels are torn out by the handful when the creature is very much alive and aware of the pain. Animal extracts like ambergirs are and musk are substances used in the manufacture of perfumes. These substances have caused the magnificent sperm whale and the timid and helpless muskdeer to be hunted and slaughtered to the point of extinction. Saddest of all is with the advancement of technology , an excellent match to each of these scents can be made with chemicals in a laboratory. Over 40 species of wild animals have been hunted by man for their furs. Fortunately, in our country the climatic conditions do not encourage the use of furs. However , the fur of rabbits are becoming fashionable as caps and purses.

Silk is a favourite evening wear. Did you know that to make one pound of woven silk 3000 silkworms in their cocoon are boiled alive? A kinder alternative called ahimsa silk is made from the broken cocoons after the silk moth has flown away. However, it is coarser, and thereby unpopular.

Ivory or elephant tusk is used to make jewelllery and artefacts. Ivory is very valuable. The ivory trade in India is officially banned. Yet to get ivory, hunters spray and poison jackfruit , the favourite fruit of the wild elephant. This results in the death of elephants in large numbers whether or not they have tusks.

These cruel practices exist only because there is a public demand for the products. We must ensure that the things we use and buy do not harm animals while they are being made. We must also understand that we can help reduce the suffering of these creatures by making a choice to use or not to use products made from cruelty. There are so many kinder alternatives. Beauty and vanity are not necessary for health or happiness . nor do they justify the need to carry on inflicting pain on animals. By a conscious choice and setting an example for others, we can all be beautiful without being cruel.

(Courtesy: Beauty without Cruelty, Pune.)

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