Jwala Gutta supports PETA Campaign Against Cock Fights

Badminton sensation Jwala Gutta to 'bleed' like an injured rooster in PETA shoot against cockfighting

PETA India Campaign Will Implore People to Steer Clear of Cruel, Illegal and Deadly Events

In 2014, the Honourable Supreme Court of India passed a landmark judgement confirming that inciting animals to fight is illegal and in violation of The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. But cockfights are still organised in some parts of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Punjab and elsewhere. That's why badminton champion, Commonwealth Games gold and silver medallist and Arjuna Award winner Jwala Gutta is eager to drive home the message against cockfighting with a brand-new ad campaign for PETA. On Saturday, Gutta will be dressed like an injured rooster lying in a pool of "blood" inside a cockfighting ring, with a sign that will read, "Try to Relate to Their Fate. Say No to Cockfighting".

Venue: - Studio No 5, Annapurna Studios, Annex (7 Acres), Krishna Nagar Junction, Road No 5, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad 500 033

"I choose to battle it out on the court, but roosters used in cockfights have no choice. Everyone knows that cockfighting causes injuries, suffering and distress for birds as well as a very painful death", Gutta says. "If it will help PETA send the message that no one should support cockfights, then I'm ready to take up the cause."

Roosters raised for fighting are often confined to cramped cages and tormented to make them perform. Razor-sharp spurs are attached to their feet to make fights more "exciting" (ie, bloody). The birds sustain broken wings and legs, punctured lungs, severed spinal cords and gouged-out eyes. Those who survive are forced to fight again.