Meet & Greet
Rey - Survivor of the Transport Industry
Rey was rescued from a village in Uttar Pradesh about a year ago, after she was abandoned by her “owner”, and currently she is a resident at All Creatures Great And Small (ACGS), Haryana.
She is 12 years old and has a keen sense of curiosity (You probably can tell by the way she is looking into the camera), who enjoys companionship of humans, when they are being gentle with her.
Unfortunately, Rey was a victim of cruelty since her “owner” refusd to shelter her anymore and she was left stranded on the street fighting street dogs while trying to pick up pieces of whatever she could find, to feed herself.
Bulbul - Survivor of the entertainment industry
Bulbul was rescued 5 years ago, after she was tortured & considered an “extra” horse to be provided for, by her “owners”. Ever since then, she has been a resident at All Creatures Great And Small (ACGS), Haryana.
She is 17 years old, and has a keen sense of hearing and responds to her name with a neigh, followed by a nod. She used to be aggressive in her initial days at ACGS, and even had to be separated from other horses, but with time, she opened up and has become cordial & warm towards others.
The reason for her aggressiveness was the result of how she was treated and fought over to be “used” & abused between two breeders (also brothers) 5 years ago. As a consequence of the heated fight, one of the brothers pulled Bulbul’s eyes apart, leaving her blind.
Madhuri - Survivor of slaughter house
Madhuri was rescued from a slaughterhouse three years ago. The slaughterhouse was sued and had to close. She was one among the many who got rescued then, and ever since then, she has been a resident at All Creatures Great And Small (ACGS), Haryana.
At the time of her rescue, the abuse that Madhuri had undergone made her too afraid & she used to shy away from any social interaction. However now, not only has she become socially active, but also very playful & mischievous. She and her friends have eaten an entire tree that was fenced.
Imagine being in a cramped-up place, terrified of being picked to have your throat slit, whilst you persist in being depressed due to captivity and isolation. Madhuri was subjected to this for a prolonged period inside the slaughterhouse.
Kamli - Survivor of Dairy Industry
Kamli was rescued from a street 2 years ago. After life-long exploitation in terms of physical and psychological abuse for her milk, Kamli was left stranded on the streets of a village in Uttar Pradesh, and currently, she is a resident at All Creatures Great And Small (ACGS), Haryana.
Kamli loves to feed on fresh green grass. While she is strong on the outside, she is very kind on the inside. She has a low resistance to heat and thus most often enjoys the sunny days immersing herself in water, if not taking shelter under a tree shade.
Before the rescue, Kamli’s alarming fate was dictated by the horrors of the Dairy industry. Therein she was impregnated over & over again for 7 years, by artificial insemination, for her milk- which her child was made devoid of, by taking the child away from her. Later when she could not give any more milk, she was deemed "useless", by her "owners", and left on the streets.
(Note: while almost all Buffaloes end up in a slaughterhouse, Kamli was relatively lucky to be found on the streets & rescued)
Bubbly - Survivor of Dairy Industry
Bubbly was rescued from a highway 4 years ago. Bubbly has been blind since her birth, and yet this hasn’t prevented her from being exploited by the dairy industry for her milk. But once she stopped providing milk, the “care” by her “owners”, also ceased and she was abandoned on a highway. Currently she is a resident at All Creatures Great And Small (ACGS), Haryana.
Bubbly has a keen sense of hearing, and smell. She immediately gets to know when her food has arrived and starts running towards the caregiver. She is fond of spending time with Amar (a horse at ACGS), and the feeling is very much mutual. She is simply one of the most gentle soul, who is known to provide positive vibes, for those around her.
Before the rescue, much like any other cow’s tragic fate, Bubbly was forcefully impregnated multiple times, had every single child of her’s taken away after each pregnancy. Once she stopped giving milk, she was mercilessly left on a highway to fend for herself. While Bubbly’s personality traits are unique, the trauma she had to endure are the stories of almost all the cows.
Radha - Survivor of Dairy Industry
Radha was rescued from Sanjay Gandhi Hospital where she was admitted due to the paralysis of her hind legs. Due to the financial burden, the hospital couldn’t take care of Radha, and thus, she was rescued by Sonia (a social worker). Currently, Radha is a permanent resident at Friendicoes.
Radha is two years old and loves munching on barley & even more when someone feeds it to her. She likes her head brushed & scratched by others, and in return, she sways her head and tries to coddle for more attention. Due to her childlike social interaction, other individuals at the shelter love spending time with her.
The Dairy Industries use the term “downer” to describe individuals like Radha, who cannot get up on their own. The primary cause for this in younglings like Radha is trauma or injury. Calves are immediately separated from their mother once they are born and thus, are deprived of their mother’s milk, which can easily make them prone to some injuries on any minor fall, and not to mention the psychological trauma that both a mother & kid must endure upon separation. Now with all the care at the shelter, Radha is doing much better, where she can walk on her own for some distance. But her suffering speaks volumes about what millions of baby calves have to needlessly endure.
Sundari - Survivor of Dairy Industry
Sundari, who is now 15 years old, has had a long and rather distressing journey throughout her life. Her story involves being moved from one place to another, wherein in each place she was treated as a “commodity”, either for her labor or for her milk. Currently, she is a permanent resident at Friendicoes.
Sundari is mostly seen resting and munching on some dry grass. She is very approachable and enjoys the company of those who can brush her neck region. Her favourite treat is a mouthful of tomatoes.
The reason why Sundari is often seen resting is due to her back problems, which have been the result of years of labor she was put through. Years ago, she was rescued from a Gaushala where no proper care was provided. She was rescued and sent to a temple, where her miseries compounded, as she was abused & exploited for her milk. Looking at how she was simultaneously given a pseudo-position of God and exploited for her milk, she was once more rescued and brought under the care and shelter of Friendicoes. Despite all the pain endured by Sundari, she still is one of the few fortunate cows, who didn’t end up in a slaughterhouse to have her throat slit and hung upside down.
Julie - Survivor of Emu Farming Industry
Julie, among a few other Emus, was rescued from a highway 2 years ago. She and her friends were no more “profitable” for her “owner”. So they were deserted on a highway at midnight. Currently, Julie & her friends are a resident at All Creatures Great And Small (ACGS), Haryana.
Julie is quiet and induces immediate tranquility in anyone, who spends time with her. She loves fruits, particularly melons, and she doesn’t even spare the seeds. While communicating with her friends, she grunts like a human child. She also likes to whistle when alone, which is very rare.
Before the rescue, Julie was “commodified” for her “economic” values. Julie and her ancestors are not native to our nation. They were imported and bred into existence, only to be later slaughtered. Julie, a sentient being, had a price tag on her for her entire life. It is when the number went down that she was deemed “worthless” by her “caretaker” and abandoned. Julie isn’t just a survivor, but she has a story that uplifts ethics over economics.
Magru - Survivor of the Tourism Industry
Magru was rescued from a road accident in Faridabad, where his leg was severely injured & fractured. Immediately he was rescued & brought to Friendicoes. He is currently 9 years old, and ever since the incident, he has been a permanent resident at Friendicoes.
Magru is super cordial and doesn’t shy away from any interaction. Much like other camels, he has a well-developed memory and can remember a face once seen for months together. He will remember you even more fondly & forever if you feed him carrots.
Unfortunately, Magru’s life was very different before becoming a resident of Friendicoes. He was forced to bear the weight of humans, carriages, and tourist's luggage and was constantly beaten up to keep up with the rolling tourists. Later, when he met with the accident, he was abandoned on the streets by his “owner”. Magru had to battle hard on his recovery, where at one point it was even thought to put him down. But Magru’s willpower was strong, and he did recover and even started walking again.
Grogu - Surviver of Slaughter house
Grogu, who is over a year old, was rescued from a slaughterhouse about a year ago. The slaughterhouse was sued on welfare grounds and forced to close. He was one among the many who got rescued then, and ever since then, he has been a resident at All Creatures Great And Small (ACGS), Haryana.
Pigs being naturally gregarious animals, Grogu is very interactive and lets anyone pamper him, especially in the form of scrubbing him. He has a high sense of smell, especially for any munchies that have cucumbers in them.
Grogu was very young when he and his family members were abandoned. He luckily didn’t get to live through what his parents had to live through, which is to live a half-life in a cramped barn, only to have your throat cut open later. The word “domestication” is simply a euphemism for enslaving and treating them like objects. Any time spent with Grogu will prove just the opposite, as to how playful, smart & importantly sentient he and his kind are.
Gunmeet - A survivor of her kind
Gunmeet, who is now nearly two years old, was rescued from a farm where she was stuck in the fences. Since then, she has been a permanent resident of All Creatures Great and Small (ACGS), Haryana.
Gunmeet was very young when she was brought to ACGS, and initially, she had to be fed by a bottle. She grew up in a bit of isolation, as she was scared and tried to be aggressive if anyone approached her. But with time, she got along and now is a wonderful companion to everyone around her.
Gunmeet was severely injured when she was found and was so weak that her bones were visible. After a series of surgeries, she recovered. But many Nilgais’ fate is not as same as Gunmeet’s. Though it's prohibited by the law to hunt & kill Nilgais, some state governments in the recent past have given the order for - "shoot-at-sight" to mitigate the damage to croplands. Humans are the ones who have decimated the forests and made the habitat unsustainable for the wild animals, which have fled them to croplands in the first place. How reasonable is it, that they have to pay the price for our doings? The farmland owners can always be compensated with comprehensive crop insurance, but is there compensation for the life of innocent sentient beings like Gunmeet?
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