Investigations
Rampant cruelty found in India’s goat meat industry
Animal Equality uncovered abuse across farms, markets, and slaughterhouses in India. Goats were tied, caged, dragged by their legs and ears, stuffed into sacks, or packed tightly into trucks. Some died in transit. Others were nearly decapitated without prior stunning in unlicensed facilities.
Cages deform hens on Indian egg farms
During an investigation of 19 egg farms across India, Animal Equality documented hens with deformities confined to cages no larger than two sheets of printer paper. Many died slow, painful deaths in their own waste. These conditions violate an Indian Supreme Court ruling guaranteeing basic animal freedoms and disregard public calls for stronger animal protections.
Illegal slaughter at pig farms and markets in India
Animal Equality investigated pig farms and markets across multiple Indian states, uncovering illegal slaughter practices. Pigs were stabbed repeatedly in the heart instead of being killed in licensed slaughterhouses, tied up, stuffed into bags while screaming, and transported on rickshaws and scooters under cruel conditions.
Animals beaten with hammers in dairy-linked slaughterhouses
An investigation into India’s dairy-linked slaughterhouses revealed workers beating animals with hammers, slitting their throats repeatedly, and slaughtering them in full view of each other—clear violations of India's animal cruelty laws. This abuse was documented at six facilities in Maharashtra and Kerala.
Richa Moorjani joins Animal Equality in dairy investigation
Animal Equality in the U.S. released a new undercover investigation into India’s dairy industry. The investigation featured celebrated actress and activist Richa Moorjani, who presented the findings and shared an important message about who is behind every glass of milk and dairy product. The release shows evidence of the suffering of cows and buffaloes from around the world, including in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Mexico.
Crimes against buffalo in India denounced
Animal Equality’s investigation of a dairy farm in India revealed workers abusing a female buffalo as they attempted to load her onto a transport truck headed for the slaughterhouse. Investigators captured images of workers beating and twisting her tail, repeatedly pushing a stick into her genitals to induce pain, causing her to bleed, and pouring water over her nose and mouth to make her feel like she was drowning. Animal Equality has denounced these crimes and provided all the evidence to the Animal Welfare Board of India.
Fish farms in India leave animals to suffocate
Animal Equality exposed cruelty in India’s fishery and aquaculture sector, documenting widespread fish suffering. Investigators observed “fish milking,” a painful process in which eggs are manually extracted from females, and noted that many fish are killed by slow asphyxiation after being removed from water and placed on ice.
Crippled, starving and infected birds on Indian farms
From February 2019 to October 2020, Animal Equality investigated chicken farms and meat markets across Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana—key poultry-producing states in India. Investigators documented crippled birds unable to walk or reach food and water, severely ill chickens dying from starvation, heart attacks, and respiratory infections, and carcasses of dead birds left to rot alongside the living.
Wet markets in Asia pose danger to animals and humans
Citing public health and safety, Animal Equality launched a worldwide campaign and petition calling on the United Nations to immediately close all wet markets that sell animals. Not only do these markets pose an immediate danger to humans, but they are also intensely cruel and abhorrently inhumane to animals, as shown by our investigation into wet markets in China, India, and Vietnam.
Chicken Factory Farms in India
Animal Equality's investigation into chicken farms in India exposed practices that still were going on despite violating the most basic animal welfare and food safety standards. Birds were transported for days without access to food or water, suffered for minutes during slaughter before dying, and their bodies were de-feathered in filthy conditions.
Cruelty Found in Indian Cattle Markets
Animal Equality studied Indian cattle markets across seven states and found that the animals were denied food and water, and were often abused. Cows were prodded with sticks and had hot chilli rubbed in their eyes to make them move. Child labor was also documented in the cattle markets.
Use of Illegal Cages for Hens Exposed in India
Animal Equality worked in India to expose the plight of hens suffering in extreme confinement, with many crammed into cages so crowded they can't even spread their wings. The investigation revealed that the Indian egg industry is still using cruel and illegal battery cages, despite laws prohibiting their use.
107 Dairy Farms, 11 Animal Markets and 8 Slaughterhouses Investigated in India
Animal Equality investigators in India inspected a total of 107 dairy farms, 11 live animal markets and 8 slaughterhouses across the country to expose the practices of the dairy industry. The investigation covered facilities in all regions of the country: Punjab and Haryana in the north, Uttar Pradesh in the east; Gujarat and Maharastra in the west; Secunderabad in the center; Hyderabad, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala in the south. The investigators witnessed male buffalo calves tightly tethered and left to die shortly after birth, female buffaloes injected with Oxytocin to increase their milk production while on the farms, and animals bludgeoned with a hammer in the slaughterhouses.