PETA India Spreads Christmas Cheer With Free Vegan Ice Cream In Pune

Ahead of Christmas, supporters of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals India (PETA India), along with volunteers from Hope for Paws, took to Fergusson College Road dressed as Santa Claus, Mrs Claus and elves to distribute free NOTO vegan ice cream to the passersby. 

‘Christmas is about kindness, peace, and goodwill, and there’s no better way to live those values than by choosing vegan,’ says PETA India Campaigns Coordinator, Apeksha Tamane.

"By offering delicious vegan ice cream, Santa’s family and their helpers are showing that celebrating without cruelty is not only possible, but also joyful," added Tamane. 

The idea for conducting this campaign is to promote veganism. Tamane explained how the dairy sector inseminates cows and buffaloes forcibly, so workers insert an arm into the cow’s rectum and a metal rod carrying bull semen into her vagina, and their newborn calves are stolen from them shortly after birth. 

Males are typically cast out on the roads, starved, or sold to be killed for their flesh and skin, while females are sentenced to the same fate as their mothers: they’re used as milk machines until their bodies give out, at which point, many are abandoned or slaughtered.  

According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the world’s largest organisation of food and nutrition professionals, vegans are at reduced risk of certain health conditions, including ischemic heart disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, certain types of cancer, and obesity.  

University of Oxford researchers state that going meat and dairy-free can reduce an individual’s carbon footprint from food by up to 73%.  For those who enjoy the creamy taste, milk, ice cream, cheese, and yoghurt made from a variety of nuts, soy, coconut, or other plant-based ingredients are a tasty option.