New Delhi – Animal rights organisation PETA India has come under fire for a recent campaign aimed at promoting veganism, after an ad featuring a digitally altered image of a woman drinking dog’s milk sparked widespread outrage on social media.
The provocative ad, which bore the caption “If you wouldn’t drink dogs’ milk, why drink the milk of any other species? Please. Try vegan,” appeared on billboards across major cities including Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai, Noida, Bhopal, and Ahmedabad. Shared on Instagram, the image was accompanied by a strong message against the dairy industry, stating that dairy production involves cruelty—from forced impregnation of cows to the separation of calves from their mothers.
“Cows are not milk machines; their milk is for calves, not humans. Ditch dairy,” read the post.
However, instead of generating support for the vegan cause, the campaign has drawn sharp criticism from the public. Social media users described the ad as “distasteful” and “bizarre,” with many questioning the ethics and sensibility behind such shock-based tactics.
“There are many other ways to promote veganism; this isn’t one,” wrote one user. “It’s disturbing to edit images this way. The only thing going for you is that dogs can’t speak up—otherwise they’d surely object to being portrayed like this.”
Another user sarcastically added, “So now humans are drinking dog’s milk—what will the puppies drink? Pedigree?”
While the majority of comments condemned the ad’s visual approach, a few supported the campaign’s underlying message. One person noted, “If this disturbs you, it’s because the reality is disturbing. We’ve just normalised drinking animal milk. Whether it’s from a dog, cow, or buffalo—it’s equally unnatural.”
PETA India has not issued an official response to the backlash, but the organisation remains steadfast in its mission to highlight what it calls the harsh realities of the dairy industry.