"Shanthi" means "peace, rest, calmness, tranquility, or bliss." So it's appropriate that Shanthi and her friends (pictured below) enjoy such a blissful life at a sanctuary in India—but that wasn't always the case.

© Aneesh S

Once, these little donkeys worked all day long in the blistering heat, carrying heavy loads of bricks from the fiery kilns starting at dawn. At night, they were left to root through garbage and dirt in the hope of finding enough nourishment to survive. Animal Rahat, which PETA supports, rescued Shanthi and all the other survivors of accidents involving trucks and cars and arranged for their retirement. Now, they live, jump, run, and play with their rescued friends from the streets—and they'll never be beaten again.

Animal Rahat saves the lives of India's working animals. To help animals such as Shanthi and his pals, please make a generous donation to Animal Rahat.

Like her namesake, 4-month-old pup Snow White was in dire need of rescue when Animal Rahat, the animal-relief organization that PETA helps fund in India, got the call. The frightened puppy had tried to negotiate a busy road, only to be struck by a speeding bicycle. Running blindly, she was hit again by another bicycle, leaving her bruised and bloodied, with a gaping wound on her leg.

The Animal Rahat team rushed to the scene, scooped up the frail puppy, and  took her back to the sanctuary, where the veterinarian and other staff members cleaned her wounds, treated her for fleas, and fed her what was probably her first square meal in her entire short life. Her stomach full, Snow White curled up and conked out, fast asleep.

This energetic puppy is now a cheerful addition to the sanctuary and has made friends with all the former working animals who are retired there. 

But Snow White is still waiting for her Prince Charming—a sponsor to help Animal Rahat with her care. Can you help give her a fairytale ending? Make a generous commitment to Snow White and other animals rescued by Animal Rahat to help working animals of India.

It's a common sight in Maharashtra during sugarcane season—bullocks panting and frothing at the mouth from straining to pull carts piled high with sugarcane. Their knees are swollen, and their necks and shoulders bear wounds that are a silent testimony to their daily toil under the yoke.

The bullocks who are forced to work on India's sugarcane farms are commonly denied proper food, fresh drinking water, sufficient rest, and relief from the blazing-hot sun. They are yanked roughly by wires threaded through their pierced noses and are often beaten or whipped. Strands of barbed wire are sometimes put under the wooden yoke, and a thin piece of leather is attached to the whip to make it sting even more.

Before

PETA's friends at Animal Rahat, which offers relief for India's working animals, are improving conditions for these bullocks. For years, Animal Rahat has provided bullocks with medical attention, persuaded owners to let sick and injured animals rest, and replaced painful nose ropes with harnesses. But Animal Rahat's groundbreaking new initiative, "The Tractor Project," is a way to eliminate the use of bullocks completely and replace them with small tractors. It's the start of a terrific plan that could eventually relieve untold suffering.

Sugarcane farms are largely staffed by migrant workers who live on the factory land for six to seven months of the year, harvesting and hauling. These poor farmers cannot afford to buy a motorized vehicle to haul the cane, but The Tractor Project is changing that. Animal Rahat made a donation toward the purchase of five new tractors for workers at the Kranti Sugar Factory. The factory then gave the employees an interest-free loan for the rest of the cost.

Last week, the first five owners were presented with their new tractors, and their 10 old, worn-out bullocks were released from servitude in a touching ceremony at the factory. When the bullocks arrived at Animal Rahat's Retired Bullock Home later that same day, caretakers removed their nose ropes and offered the relieved animals jaggery, a sweet treat that they love, to welcome them.

After

Animal Rahat and the Kranti Sugar Factory plan to distribute more tractors as they find the funds to do so. And Animal Rahat is preparing to expand The Tractor Project to other areas if possible. Each sugarcane factory uses about 1,200 working bullocks, so it will be no small task. But Animal Rahat is dedicated to ending the suffering of bullocks.

To contribute to Animal Rahat's overall efforts—which fund new initiatives, including The Tractor Project—visit Animal Rahat's fundraising page.

When a baby monkey fell off an electric pole high above a highway in Sangli, India, and plummeted to the road below, she was knocked unconscious and one eye was left swollen and bloody. Someone saw the monkey fall and alerted officials. Knowing the superb rehabilitation work that PETA's friends at Animal Rahat ("rahat" means "relief" in Hindi) do, forest officials asked them to go to the scene immediately.

Animal Rahat took the injured animal to its rehabilitation facility, where workers gently flushed her eyes and gave her antibiotic eyedrops for a few days. It was delicate work helping the monkey to heal while handling her as little as possible so as not to cause her stress, which can lead monkeys to mutilate themselves. 

A week later, with her health improving, it was safe to give the tiny monkey the freedom and space that she craved, so she was taken to the Katraj wildlife rescue center, where she could enjoy a forest-like setting while continuing to heal.

The monkey relished her freedom and continued to improve while she built a trusting relationship with her caretakers. But life in captivity is not what nature intended for monkeys, and after two months there, her rescue team bid her a tearful goodbye and released her back into the forest. Animal Rahat workers still visit the forest from time to time to see if they can spot her and even managed to get one last picture of the now fully recovered monkey doing what monkeys do best.

sailorbill | cc by 2.0

Following an extensive campaign by PETA India, Indian universities' top governing body, the University Grants Commission (UGC), is officially recommending that all colleges and universities replace animal dissection and animal experimentation in zoology and life sciences courses with modern non-animal methods. According to Dr BK Sharma, associate professor and head of the Department of Zoology at the RL Saharia Government PG College in Jaipur, by using computer simulations, interactive CD-ROMs, films, charts, and lifelike models, it is estimated that Indian universities will save 19 million animals every year.

Animals used for dissection may be captured from their natural habitats or may come from "biological supply" companies, which not only breed animals but also purchase them from slaughterhouses, pet stores, animal shelters, and dealers who sell lost or stolen companion animals. Animals are killed by gassing or drowning and are then injected with formaldehyde, sometimes without first being checked to make sure that they are dead. 

The UGC's recommendations will not only spare millions of animals' lives but also ensure that students don't have to choose between their education and their morals.

Visit CutOutDissection.com to learn how PETA can help you get dissection alternatives implemented in schools near you.

As race fans flocked to India's first-ever Formula 1 race this weekend, they saw PETA India's sexy "pit crew girls," who urged Grand Prix attendees to rev their own engines by jettisoning the meat and dairy products from their diets. 

Going vegan improves our health and is more effective in preventing climate change than switching to a hybrid car, and every vegan saves about 100 animals' lives every year. You don't need a checkered flag to tell you that's a win-win-win situation.

Even if you've never won a Grand Prix, you can still snag a grand free vegetarian/vegan starter kit and get your bod up to speed.

Written by Michelle Sherrow

During the Indian festival of Diwali, people traditionally share sweets and snacks with family members and friends, so it only makes sense that staffers with Animal Rahat, a working-animal relief program in India supported by PETA, would mark the festival of lights by paying a visit to Animal Rahat's sanctuary for retired bullocks in Sangli to share some treats with their friends there.

Rahat staffers also cleaned and groomed the animals and gave them much-appreciated massages, as well as performing the traditional Hindu rituals associated with the holiday. In the photos below, you can see some of the animals in their holiday finery, enjoying their "prasad" (offerings to the goddess Lakshmi—in this case, a tasty banana).

The bullocks also enjoyed a special meal of green grass and molasses (an extra special treat), and the resident dogs dined on a holiday feast of rice and vegetables.

Find out more about Animal Rahat's vital work to provide veterinary care, rest, nutrition, shelter, aid, and retirement to working animals in India at AnimalRahat.com. Please also consider making a donation today to become a supporter of the Animal Rahat program.  

© StarmaxInc

As Lady Gaga heads to India to perform at the Formula One closing party, PETA India has an idea for her next statement outfit: a dress made of lettuce leaves.

Considering meat's monstrous impact on our health and the environment as well as the plight of animals who are dismembered for food while still conscious, PETA India asked Mother Monster to show her fans that even just reducing the amount of meat they eat (or wear) can help.

Will Lady Gaga step into the leaf dress and discover that she was born the herbivore way? We'll have to wait and see. In the meantime, you can use these free recipes to cook up some meatless dishes that you'll go gaga for.

Written by Michelle Sherrow

I thought living downwind of the reeking refineries in east Houston reflected badly on the oil industry, but that's just a mere annoyance compared to the suffering of bulls at the hands of oil companies in India. That's why one of our friends from PETA India took over the stage at the Oil and Gas Review Summit and International Exhibition in Mumbai to urge India's wealthy oil biz leaders to replace carts drawn by bulls with modern, non-animal forms of transport. The PETA India staffer was dragged out of the conference—chanting "Shame!"

Let's hope that she opened some eyes (and hearts). Most of the bulls used to transport fuel from oil ports to rationing stations in Mumbai are underfed and malnourished and kept in filthy conditions, and many suffer from chronic inflammation, maggot-infested wounds, infections, or intestinal problems. They are forced to work until they are exhausted, pulling heavy loads through all weather extremes.

To learn how you can help end these bullocks' suffering, see PETA India's action alert and please make a donation to Animal Rahat, which was created to make a difference in the lives of working bullocks, donkeys, ponies and horses.

Written by Jeff Mackey

Exciting news out of Chennai, where the Animal Welfare Board of India has banned the use of glue traps to snare and (miserably) kill mice and rats, declaring, "Available evidence clearly suggests that the use of glue traps causes unnecessary pain and suffering to the rodents and is against the spirit of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act ...."

PETA's cruelty caseworkers can offer plenty of evidence of the "unnecessary pain and suffering" caused by glue traps—and not just to rodents. For instance, a recent call concerned a bird who had become helplessly mired in a restaurant's glue trap.

You'll be glad to know that things worked out OK for this little guy, whom we arranged to be taken to a wildlife rehabilitator, but for far too many animals, glue traps mean days of suffering before death by starvation, dehydration, exhaustion, or shock. In addition to being cruel, glue traps also spread diseases, which is why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends not using them.

The other good news to come out of this case is that the restaurant has seen the light and will no longer use glue traps. Still, a lot of folks could stand to follow the example of these restaurateurs (and India) by detaching themselves from pans of pain.

If you see anyone using glue traps, or if you'd like to see a glue-trap ban in your community, don't be shy—speak up! And if you have rats or mice visiting your business or home, learn to live peacefully and kindly with our smart and resourceful rodent neighbors.

Written by Jeff Mackey