Goshala, a group based in Arizona, is working at saving cows from slaughter in an effort to promote peace and veganism by starting a sanctuary.
The group finds shelter for cows and raises awareness for kindness of animals by serving meatless meals to homeless at shelters.
Goshala practices what it calls Cow Protection. In Sanskrit the word ‘Goshala’ literally means cow protection, or the place where cows are sheltered Other Sanskrit names for the cow are Go-mata(mother cow), Kamadhenu (wish fulfilling), and Aghnya(never to be killed).
The group tries to educate people about how saving these animals promotes a sustainable ecosystem.
“We believe that kindness to animals leads to kindness to humans and hence a peaceful world,” President Naren Koka of the organistaion was quoted as saying by the Casa Grande Dispatch newspaper.
At Goshala, the cows are respected, honoured and adored. Protecting them promotes peace and good health, said Koka.
“We spread the message of how important it is to protect cows and educate people on how protecting them builds a sustainable ecosystem for future generations,” Koka added.
Cows eat grass, and the cow dung is very good for the earth. It protects the topsoil, and the manure can be used to feed the corn,” he said.
The organization was started in 2010 when Laila, a black Jersey cow with a white star on her forehead, was saved from slaughter.
“Her owner was moving and planned to have her slaughtered, but he offered her for sale on Craigslist to see if he could sell her,” said Prayag Narayan Misra, a Goshala founder and volunteer. “We raised the money and purchased her.”
The organisation now has seven cows but hopes to add more — as many as possible, the report said.
Caring for the cows comes with a price tag of about $ 150 per animal per month. Since healthy cows can live up to 20 years, funding is important to the organisation.
Much of the financial support for caring for the cows comes from the Indian community but some animal activists are also involved.
Goshala also maintains a bull training project so the animals may be used to plow fields. Using bulls rather than tractors to plow fields reduces agricultural dependence on fossil fuels and promotes a more sustainable ecosystem, Koka said.
The organisation promotes a vegetarian lifestyle and frequently serves meatless meals to homeless shelters and the poor. They also hold cooking demonstrations to teach others how to make food with “love and compassion,” Koka said.
h/t: Indian Express
such a good step taken by the Indian-American .. the organisation should be extended to save not only the cows but other animals too like goat etc