VIDEO: Rescued Animals Join Diwali Festival of Lights Celebrations at PETA-Supported Sanctuaries in India

For Immediate Release:
October 30, 2024

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Sangli, India –

For Diwali, Animal Rahat, a PETA-supported organization that helps some of the most neglected animals—bullocks, donkeys, and other working animals—in India is releasing a joyous video that continues its tradition of including animals in national celebrations. The video—shot at Animal Rahat’s sanctuaries in the Indian states of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal—starts as colorful fruits and fresh vegetables are chopped and set out in heart-shaped designs for camels, bulls, dogs, horses, goats, chickens, and other rescued animals, who had a hard life before but now wear marigold garlands and show their delight as they enjoy the tantalizing feast.

“The animals at PETA-supported Animal Rahat’s sanctuaries have been rescued from terrible situations, such as being experimented on in laboratories, raised for slaughter, forced to perform in circuses, or used to haul heavy loads of steel or sugarcane,” says Animal Rahat Chief Operating Officer Dr. Naresh Chandra Upreti. “But at Animal Rahat sanctuaries, the safety, comfort, and happiness of rescued animals is paramount. During this celebration, we light up the animals’ lives and you can see the happiness in their eyes.”

Animal Rahat’s sanctuaries are located in secluded areas away from fireworks and other loud noises, but animals in cities and towns aren’t so lucky. PETA and Animal Rahat encourage Diwali celebrants to use quiet sparklers or diyas instead of loud fireworks, which terrify animals and cause many to become hurt or lost as they flee their homes and neighborhoods.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on X, Facebook, or Instagram. For more information about Animal Rahat and to support its lifesaving work, please visit AnimalRahat.com.