Written by Michelle Kretzer
What can you buy the bride and groom who have everything? PETA found the perfect wedding present for PETA supporter Alec Baldwin and his bride, Hilaria Thomas, halfway around the world: an Indian bullock named Raja who had carried a heavy weight on his shoulders for years, pulling a cart overloaded with tons of sugarcane. Raja has now been renamed Baldwin Thomas in honor of the newlyweds, and he will spend the rest of his days relaxing at the PETA-funded Animal Rahat sanctuary in India.
When Animal Rahat veterinarians first met Baldwin Thomas, his owner had brought the aging bullock to them for medical care. But when the vets saw that the 22-year-old animal was suffering from arthritis and squamous cell carcinoma in his left eye, they convinced his owner to let him retire.
After a successful operation to remove the cancerous growth, treatment for his arthritis, and lots of TLC, Baldwin Thomas is now much healthier and much happier. And after a life spent toiling under the hot Indian sun, the bullock with the famous name is content to spend his "moment in the sun" resting in the shade.
If you have a general question for PETA and would like a response, please e-mail Info@peta.org. If you need to report cruelty to an animal, please click here. If you are reporting an animal in imminent danger and know where to find the animal and if the abuse is taking place right now, please call your local police department. If the police are unresponsive, please call PETA immediately at 757-622-7382 and press 2.
Follow PETA on Twitter!