Ahead Of World Milk Day, PETA India Promotes Veganism With Billboard Of Woman Drinking Dog's Milk

Mumbai: Ahead of World Milk Day on June 1, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals  (PETA) India unveiled a bold and provocative vegan billboard in Mumbai and other cities featuring the message “If You Wouldn’t Drink Dogs’ Milk, Why Drink the Milk of Any Other Species?”

About The Billboard

The billboard in Mumbai is located on Aarey Flyover in Goregaon, which shows a woman drinking milk from a dog to challenge speciesism, the bias that favours some species over others. It urges dairy consumers appalled by the idea of consuming dog milk to consider that dogs, buffaloes and cows all naturally produce milk only for their own species. PETA India encouraged the public to consider delicious plant-based milk and other dairy-like products made from millets, soy, oats, almonds, and coconuts, which are now widely available across India, making it easier than ever to ‘Go Vegan’. 

Similar banners have also been erected in Ahmedabad, Noida, Bhopal, Bengaluru, and Chennai. PETA India said that the ad was blocked by local site vendors in Anand.

Dr Kiran Ahuja's Statement

Dr Kiran Ahuja, PETA India’s senior manager of vegan and corporate projects, said, “There’s nothing natural about forcefully impregnating cows and buffaloes, stealing their babies, and consuming the milk meant for their young. PETA India’s billboard makes the simple point that people who are disgusted by the idea of drinking dogs’ milk should question why they consider it acceptable to consume another animal’s milk and go vegan.”  

According to PETA India, the country’s dairy sector is the primary supplier of cattle to the beef industry. It alleged that most cows and buffaloes used for dairy are raised in a factory-like environment and artificially inseminated while male calves, who are of no value to the dairy business, are typically cast out to starve. It alleged that females are used as milk machines until their bodies give out, at which point many are abandoned or slaughtered for cheap meat.  

The NGO claimed that consuming dairy is detrimental to human health. It said that 75% of the global population, including most Indians, are lactose intolerant. Bovine milk is high in fat, a common allergen, and is linked to various illnesses such as obesity, diabetes and certain types of cancers, it said.

Good Food Institute India states the following about milk made from plants instead of animals: “Valued at Rs250 crores in 2021, the broader plant-based dairy category in India is projected to reach Rs891 crores by 2025 and could expand to anywhere between Rs4,827 crores and Rs10,625 crores by 2030. This growth is complemented by an export potential of Rs459 crores to Rs1,889 crores by 2030. The category includes over 45 brands and 223 SKUs ranging from alternatives to milk and yoghurt to butter, cheese, and more, and is the most developed in the plant-based food market.”