PETA to campaign among retailers in leather week

Kolkata, Jan 30 (UNI) As the 22nd annual India International Leather Fair begins tomorrow, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) will campaign among the visiting retailers and consumers against the ''animal abuse'' that goes into every leather wallet and shoes.

''Our message to retailers visiting India this week is that if you are buying leather, you are contributing to hideous cruelty against animals, '' a PETA release here today said.

PETA alleged that it had released a video footage to show that the treatment of animals in the leather industry in India remained cruel and unlawful despite promises of Council for Leather Exports(CLE) to adopt animal welfare reforms in the industry.

'' PETA India's investigation reveals there is no evidence of any reforms taking place on the ground in either Kerala or Karnataka.

There is also blatant disregard for animal welfare standards also in Coimbatore--the first project location which, according to the CLE, was supposed to be a model of animal welfare for other slaughterhouses and markets, '' a PETA release today said.

It said CLE had committed to taking on an animal welfare reform programme, starting first in Coimbatore and then in Karnataka and Kerala. The CLE had also assured that it would take up 15 additional animal welfare reform projects which never happened, the release said.

PETA India investigations had reported that animals in the Indian leather trade are transported in such poor, crowded conditions that their bones break and they often suffocate or die on the way to slaughter houses where they are routinely dragged, beaten and otherwise curelly and illegally mishandled.

''Skinning and dismembering often begins while the animals are still aware of what is happening to them, '' the release said.

UNI