A Message From Ingrid Newkirk

When I first met Janaki (below), she was about half an hour shy of becoming the main ingredient in butter chicken. 

There we were, seven of us crammed into a jeep, barreling down the highway on our way to the airport from a PETA-supported Animal Rahat sanctuary in India, when we passed a 14-wheeler full of empty chicken cages. It had obviously dropped off its live cargo at a slaughterhouse and was heading home. But what was that one ball of white fluff in a middle cage? We flashed our lights, honked our horn, and got the truck to pull over. Janaki was the sole survivor, but why? 

Well, the driver told us he had saved one chicken for his dinner. We asked him to let us take her and to choose a veg meal for dinner instead. We told him about our work and sanctuary, and it resonated. He was probably surprised at having this discussion by the side of a busy highway, but he agreed, and Janaki’s new life began. 

Sometimes someone may mock a piece of advice or a suggestion, or shake their head and carry on doing something harmful, but often they do listen. And if one in a hundred does, that’s worth it. PETA’s guiding principle is “Never Be Silent,” and it’s powerful. Good things happen when you live by it. I run into many people who knew they needed to say something, didn’t want to, but were amazed that when they did, it worked! Remember, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained,” and even if nothing changes, you are no further behind. So, please, always, as they say at the airport, “If you see something (or hear something), say something.” Janaki’s so glad we did!