PETA India Urges Karnataka and Maharashtra Governments to Stop Cruel and Illegal Killing of Unwanted Poultry
Following reports that poultry farmers in Karnataka buried nearly 16,000 birds alive and that a farmer in Maharashtra buried nearly 2 lakh birds alive in response to coronavirus fears, PETA India fired off letters to the states’ animal husbandry departments asking them to issue directions immediately to stop the use of cruel and illegal methods of killing unwanted birds.
To ensure that animals don’t experience unnecessary distress, pain, and suffering, PETA India is urging the departments to promote the use of methods for the mass killing of animals recommended by the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI).
A dejected farmer Nazeer Makandar from Lolasoora village in #Gokak, #Belagavi decided to bury #chicken from his #poultry farm, following steep fall in price due to #CoronavirusOutbreak. @DeccanHerald @CMofKarnataka @mani1972ias #Coronavid19
Nazeer Makandar pic.twitter.com/OExEPM39ay
— Niranjan Kaggere (@nkaggere) March 10, 2020
A slow death by suffocation through a live burial causes birds unnecessary pain and suffering. The AWBI issued advisories in 2012 and 2014 regarding the adoption of OIE guidelines for the mass killing of animals for disease control purposes. As India is a member of the OIE and animal husbandry is a state matter under the Indian constitution, all state governments are obliged to adhere to the guidelines under Article 7.6.16 of the OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code. The code states that the general principles should also apply when animals are killed in other situations, such as after natural disasters or to cull their populations.
How You Can Help Chickens
The best way to help end the cruel killing of chickens is to eat vegan:
