- Animal Equality investigation uncovers widespread cruelty at dairy slaughterhouses in India.
- Abuse was recorded at six facilities in Maharashtra and Kerala between October and December 2023.
- Violations of animal cruelty laws and Indian court orders were found.
- Investigation exposes nexus between India’s dairy and meat industries.
- Workers were seen cutting the throats of buffalo and cows, beating them with hammers and dragging them through pools of blood.
- Cruelty has been uncovered in similar investigations in the United States, Britain and Italy.
Animal Equality is exposing widespread cruelty and violations of the law at slaughterhouses linked to India’s dairy industry. Between October and December 2023, investigators documented abuse at six facilities in Maharashtra and Kerala.
Here’s what they found:
- Workers continuously cut the necks of buffaloes and cows but do not kill them with just one cut.
- Animals were slaughtered in front of each other, violating laws requiring separate spaces for stunning.
- Sometimes workers cover the animals’ eyes so they cannot see the death scene, but they can still hear the cries of animals being killed nearby.
- In Kerala, investigators uncovered “hammer slaughter,” where workers attempted to stun animals by repeatedly hitting them with hammers. One cow was seen crying and gasping for air before collapsing.
In many cases, animals are milked one last time before being slaughtered. In Deonar, several buffaloes attempted to escape but ended up slipping in pools of blood. Workers were seen twisting the buffalo’s tail and pulling as it struggled to get free. Despite its efforts, its throat was eventually slit.
Some of the buffalo were weak, exhausted and sick, but none were spared. Workers loaded the animals onto trucks and transported them to the slaughter floor.
These practices clearly violate India’s Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act of 1960, as well as Supreme Court and High Court orders that set slaughterhouse rules. “Every slaughterhouse we visited flouted these laws,” said Amruta Ubale, CEO of Animal Equality in India.
Global scope of the dairy industry
India is the world’s largest milk producer, supplying nearly a quarter of the global market. Much of this milk is exported to the United States.
The investigation highlights the close links between the dairy and meat industries. When cows and buffalo stop producing milk, they are often sold for slaughter.
The dairy industry is not just about milk, it is also about killing animals for meat. These industries harm animals, workers, the environment and consumers. – Amruta Ubale, CEO of Animal Equality in India
Ubale warns of the public health risks of injecting hormones such as oxytocin into dairy cows and buffalo. The injections are used to stop the animals from giving milk, a natural response when their calves are taken away. The hormone relaxes the muscles, making milking easier, but causes labor-like pain and shortens the animals’ lives.
Animal cruelty: a global crisis
The atrocities in India are not an isolated incident. Similar abuses have been reported around the world.
In 2019, Animal Equality exposed the harsh conditions at Summit Calf Ranch, a supplier affiliated with Babybel. Newborn calves were left in subzero temperatures, their bodies thrown into piles. Some calves had frozen hooves ripped off their feet. Workers were filmed hitting and shoving calves, while sick animals were left to die without treatment.
In the UK—at Madox Farm in South Wales—cows were kicked, punched, and beaten with metal shovels. The footage was later aired on the BBC. Overview when millions of people watch.
In northern Italy, an investigation into the buffalo mozzarella industry found animals standing in mud and dung, swarming with flies and surrounded by dead animals. Male calves—considered useless because they don’t produce milk—were left to starve and die of thirst. Investigators even found a buffalo carcass hidden under straw and dung.
Dairy industry in India: a legacy of suffering
Animal Equality has been exposing cruelty in India’s dairy industry for years. In one case, workers attempted to force a weak buffalo onto a truck by inserting a stick into its genitals and twisting its tail. When it failed to move, they poured water into its nostrils, simulating drowning. In other cases, workers have been seen rubbing chili peppers into animals’ eyes to encourage them to move forward.
In 2023, Animal Equality teamed up with Indian-American actress Richa Moorjani to raise awareness of these abuses. The footage showed newborn male calves being separated from their mothers and starved because they were unable to produce milk.
After losing their calves, cows and buffaloes stopped producing milk. Workers responded by stuffing dead calves with hay and placing them next to their mothers, hoping to trick them into thinking their calves were still alive. This manipulation was an attempt to stimulate milk production.
In other cases, workers tie nets around the calves’ mouths to prevent them from drinking their mother’s milk.
Plant-based solutions
These investigations make one thing clear: the dairy industry—both in India and around the world—profits from animal cruelty. As more people learn the truth, they are starting to rethink their milk consumption.
Plant-based alternatives offer a humane solution. With options like oat milk and almond cheese, the plant-based industry is growing rapidly, offering cruelty-free options that are better for animals, the environment, and human health.
PROTECT MOTHERHOOD
The cow’s maternal instinct fosters a gentle bond with her vulnerable calf.
Maintain this gentle relationship by choosing plant-based alternatives to dairy products.
