In Tamil Nadu in Southern India, Newkirk witnessed cows, many old and sick, standing all day in over 100 degree heat without a scrap of shade or a drop of water. Profiteers from all religions are involved in the trade. Since slaughtering cows is illegal in all but a few Indian states, the cows are marched over hot, dusty roads for 50 to 100 miles, across state lines, where they can be loaded onto trucks and taken to slaughterhouses. The animals are denied food, water, and rest, and drivers beat them, twist and break their tails, and rub hot chili peppers and tobacco into their eyes in an effort to keep them moving. Fifteen to 30 cows are crammed into trucks meant to hold only six animals.
Cows climb over each other trying to find space, inadvertently gouging and trampling each other.
When they reach the slaughterhouses, those cattle who can still stand are forced to jump from the high truck beds, often breaking legs and pelvises. The dead and suffering are dragged from the trucks and left lying on the ground while other cows are unloaded on top of them. Workers then tie the cows' feet together and cut their throats with dull knives, sometimes sawing back and forth and leaving fully conscious animals to bleed to death. This violent, bloody industry is rife with illegalities and corruption and is kept hidden from the general public. We are calling on India's Prime Minister to enforce the laws and stop the cruel abuse.