Minimum Cow Protection Standards

[Guest guest]

>

> Is there anything us regular devotees can do to help, besides visiting

> projects? How about if we ask our local GBCs every time we see them if

> they've made their visits as pledged (assuming they had made such pledges).

> I hate to say it, but it's the squeeky wheel that gets the grease and if

> our leaders know that rank-and-file devotees are concerned and consider

> this a priority, maybe they'll become more likely to do the same?

>

> Ys,

> Madhusudani dasi

 

Ah, the poor underfunded and much beset upon GBC. One more headache for them.

 

Please, yes, make some inquiry to your local GBCs on this matter, but try to

do

it in a positive way. Making donations of cash for the specific purpose of

funding monitoring visits woul be appropriate, plus it takes the "I don't

have

the laxsmi to do it" excuse out of the quiver.

 

If it is just another excuse for GBC bashing, then it will be just another

instance of cow exploitation, for political purposes by GBC enemies. It will

benefit the cows more if it is done in a positive manner.

[Guest guest]

> > -

> > "Dinanatha (das) KKD (Pula - HR)" <Dinanatha.KKD (AT) pamho (DOT) net>

> > "ISCOWP (Balabhadra Dasa & Chaya Dasi - USA)" <ISCOWP (AT) pamho (DOT) net>

> > Wednesday, July 25, 2001 5:40 PM

> > Re: Minimum Cow Protection Standards

> >

> >

> > > Dear prabhus!Hare Krsna .

> > > Thank you for your letter.I am intrested in which way can the breeding

cows amongst the devotees be spread,considering those bigg limmitations? In

major cases do devotees ,even if they have conditions,not think of the cow

breeding.They are affraid of what will they do with cows,if the situation is

changed.It happens often that one must stop with breeding cows,cause he

cannot keep so bigg number.

 

Dear Dinanatha

Please accept my obeisances, all glories to Srila Prabhupada.

 

The natural activity of a cow is to produce offspring about every year and a

half, commercial interests have altered this to every year. In order to keep

control of the size of herds smaller numbers are bred - leading some cows to

be never bred, others occassionally and a few at a regular interval anywhere

from a year and a half to four years.

 

 

> > > Then the cows are left aside, but often this unnatural situation

leaves a great consequences on the cow, and according to my experience they

become wild and dangerous.

 

Though the system seems unnatural it has little effect on the cows. It is

true if you are not milking them they may become wild, but this is not due

to not being bred or milked. It is due to the lack of handling. I have taken

care of cows in New Talavan Mississippi for twenty-five years and have had

daily experience with animals for most of my life begining at age five (I am

now 53). Animals that are wild and/or dangerous only become that way when

they are ignored or abused and they are acting according to animal instinct

for self preservation - they have lost faith in the kindness of mankind. In

New Talavan we have cows that arrange in age from twenty three years to two

years of age. Of the ten oldest animals (ages 23 to 16) six of them have

been milked one or more times, four have never had calves - two of them are

a little nervous when you approach them but all will allow you to touch

them. Each animal knows its name and many that are handled more often

recognize the names of other cows, as is evidenced by them looking at the

cow that is being called. With strangers present they are more reserve and

if the strangers are meat eaters often the animals will quietly leave. They

know who is a potental enemy and who is not.

 

> > > According to experience of elder people,in that situation the cows may

go insane.

 

As for go insane, this means they have been severly abused in the past and

they are putting into effect the saying "every one is enemy, strike first

before they strike you".

 

> > > What is to be done then?

 

When an animal is of a dangerous nature the best is to be cautious in its

presence. By this I mean you must be aware of where the animal is at all

times (for personal safety and to alert you when to behave differently for

the welfare of that animal and others). Move slower and with clarity of

purpose, above all always show gentleness to other animals in the area.

Setup a regular schedule of going to where that animal is on a daily basis,

take that animal and others to fresh pasture daily, always talking to them

in calm manner - show affection to others in the group. In time trust maybe

reborn, if not for other humans then at least for you. This however depends

on the severity of the abuse and how calm in bodily actions and mind you

are.

 

ys, Rohita dasa