Tring Tring! The Better Dairy wave is coming! Through our #Better Dairy campaign, we are asking people to consume products that aid in making the lives of dairy animals better.
Yes.. people are asking for better dairy practices and consume products that aid in making the lives of dairy animals better. To date, approx. 80,000 people have signed the petition of not sourcing milk from urban and peri-urban dairies, which hold several cruelty incidents for these dairy animals.
Through our #Better Dairy campaign, we are asking people to create a better life for dairy animals and stand for their plight. We are spreading awareness amongst the public through awareness programs on cruelty faced by dairy animals. We are urging dairy companies to implement basic five freedoms for dairy animals and not source their milk from urban and peri-urban dairies. Recently, we started to work in different directions and launched a unique ice cream cart.
What is so unique about this ice cream cart?
The unique ice cream cart visited its first stop in Delhi, i.e. Dilli Haat, INA, a hub of traditional handicrafts. The ice cream cart talked about the cruelty faced by dairy animals in urban and peri-urban dairies. The ‘Menu of Cruelty’ imposes the importance of basic five freedoms for dairy animals in the dairy industry. The cart was surrounded by hundreds of consumers, including adults, women as well as kids. The kids were asked about, where does their yummy ice cream come from? The question suddenly made the kids think about their moos, and there only, the team from World Animal Protection initiated the conversation and made them aware of basic freedoms for these moos. The cart attracted kids through different games and quizzes, which eventually made kids aware of the interesting facts about cows as well.
The suffering of dairy animals
India is the largest milk producer, and still, the sufferings of dairy animals are ignored. They are tied up all day long without any space to move or perform natural behavior. They stay in their own faeces and urine most of the time. The lack of clean water access and good quality feed pushes these dairy animals in a more worsening condition. Apart from these atrocities, the animals are bound to live in dark shady rooms where there is no chance of reaching sunlight.
Do our animals deserve this?
Should the yummy scoop of your ice cream come from such places?
Don’t you think these dairy animals also deserve a life, “A life worth living”?
A life of having a predominance of positive and minimal negative welfare states!
How do we measure the welfare of dairy animals?
The poor welfare of dairy animals can be measured by:
- Behavioural indicators: tongue rolling, bar biting, weaving, cross suckling, eye-rolling, tail biting, fear via avoidance of the stock person
- Physical indicators: lesions, swellings, hair-loss, lameness/mobility, cleanliness, broken tails
- Physiological indicators: increased cortisol, reduced feed intake, immune suppressions, altered adrenal activity
- Production: impaired growth, reduced weight, impaired reproduction or reduced milk production
So next time when you visit a dairy and see any of the symptoms mentioned above, that means the welfare of your moo is poor, and you are eating your ice cream from an ill-regulated dairy.
Let’s join hands together and ask our respective companies #whatsinyourmilk?
Stay tuned to our social media and join at the next stop of the #betterdairy ice cream cart to know more.