http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/12/18/2121912.htm?

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Hindus angry over euthanasia of sacred cow

By Stephanie Kennedy * Audio: British RSPCA under fire over sacred cow death (The World Today)
Britain's Hindu community is accusing the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) of acting deceitfully by putting down a 13-year-old temple cow while worshippers prayed. Under British law it is an offence to knowingly permit an animal to suffer unnecessarily. The sacred cow, Gangotri, was unable to walk and was suffering from painful and infected sores and limb wastage. She was given a lethal injection by vets from the RSPCA. But outraged British Hindus are now calling for a change in animal welfare laws to take account of their religious beliefs and allow them to look after their animals according to their faith. Gauri Das is head of the Hindu community at the Bhaktivedanta Manor temple. "In the Hindu tradition the cow is respected like you would respect your mother, because we grow and we're sustained and nourished by her milk and the products that she offers," he said. "So within the Hindu tradition the cow has a very, very special place, and it is within the Hindu tradition that we are told never to kill a cow." The killing of the cow at a temple is seen as religious sacrilege of the worst kind. The Hindu community insists that while the cow was sick, it had no disease. The Hindus say she was being cared for by temple residents and given pain relief. 'Deception' Mr Das says they were deceived by the RSPCA. "Initially we were in complete disbelief and shock by the way the matter was carried out, considering that the day before we had the guarantee of the RSPCA, and we had a guarantee that the police had insisted upon, that we be given the right to legal recourse and to challenge what the RSPCA were saying," he said. "Without any notification, when the RSPCA left the meeting they pursued getting a warrant, entered our project at 8:45 the next morning, came onto the temple property and killed Gangotri." RSPCA Superintendent Tim Wass says while the group understands and respects religious beliefs, at the heart of the organisation is the belief that animals should not suffer. "Three vets gave an opinion of unnecessary suffering, and we were bound to act upon that," he said. "We had long and lengthy meetings with the church officials, but unfortunately we weren't able to reach a compromise which in any way satisfied the welfare of the cow." Britain's Hindu community is now pressuring the Government to change the law and allow them to look after their animals in the way their faith decrees. Mr Das points out there are exemptions for other religions' customs, including for the slaughter of Halal meat in accordance with Muslim beliefs.

"If there can be an exception in the law for people to hang cows by their feet and slit their throats and let them drain of blood to die, which serves other religions of this country, we who want to protect life, I think there should be some exception in the law for us," he said. END Tags: community-and-society, religion-and-beliefs, hinduism, animal-welfare, crime, united-kingdom THE STORY GROWS http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/12/18/2121912.htm?section=world

Hindus angry over euthanasia of sacred cow

By Stephanie Kennedy * Audio: British RSPCA under fire over sacred cow death (The World Today)
Britain's Hindu community is accusing the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) of acting deceitfully by putting down a 13-year-old temple cow while worshippers prayed. Under British law it is an offence to knowingly permit an animal to suffer unnecessarily. The sacred cow, Gangotri, was unable to walk and was suffering from painful and infected sores and limb wastage. She was given a lethal injection by vets from the RSPCA. But outraged British Hindus are now calling for a change in animal welfare laws to take account of their religious beliefs and allow them to look after their animals according to their faith. Gauri Das is head of the Hindu community at the Bhaktivedanta Manor temple. "In the Hindu tradition the cow is respected like you would respect your mother, because we grow and we're sustained and nourished by her milk and the products that she offers," he said. "So within the Hindu tradition the cow has a very, very special place, and it is within the Hindu tradition that we are told never to kill a cow." The killing of the cow at a temple is seen as religious sacrilege of the worst kind. The Hindu community insists that while the cow was sick, it had no disease. The Hindus say she was being cared for by temple residents and given pain relief. 'Deception' Mr Das says they were deceived by the RSPCA. "Initially we were in complete disbelief and shock by the way the matter was carried out, considering that the day before we had the guarantee of the RSPCA, and we had a guarantee that the police had insisted upon that we be given the right to legal recourse and to challenge what the RSPCA were saying," he said. "Without any notification, when the RSPCA left the meeting they pursued getting a warrant, entered our project at 8:45 the next morning, came onto the temple property and killed Gangotri." RSPCA Superintendent Tim Wass says while the group understands and respects religious beliefs, at the heart of the organisation is the belief that animals should not suffer. "Three vets gave an opinion of unnecessary suffering, and we were bound to act upon that," he said.

"We had long and lengthy meetings with the church officials, but unfortunately we weren't able to reach a compromise which in any way satisfied the welfare of the cow." Britain's Hindu community is now pressuring the Government to change the law and allow them to look after their animals in the way their faith decrees. Mr Das points out there are exemptions for other religions' customs, including for the slaughter of Halal meat in accordance with Muslim beliefs. "If there can be an exception in the law for people to hang cows by their feet and slit their throats and let them drain of blood to die, which serves other religions of this country, we who want to protect life, I think there should be some exception in the law for us," he said. END Tags: community-and-society, religion-and-beliefs, hinduism, animal-welfare, crime, united-kingdom