Bollywood Star Raveena Tandon Wins PETA India’s Top Annual Award

Bollywood actor Raveena Tandon has been honoured as PETA India’s Person of the Year for 2025. The recognition celebrates her long-standing commitment to animal rights, her advocacy for humane education, and her efforts to protect wildlife and promote compassion toward all living beings. Through campaigns, personal initiatives, and public outreach, Tandon has emerged as a prominent voice for animal welfare in India.

About PETA & PETA India

• People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
• Founded: 1980
• Founders: Ingrid Newkirk and Alex Pacheco
• Headquarters: Norfolk, Virginia, USA
• Motto: “Animals are not ours to experiment on, eat, wear, use for entertainment, or abuse in any other way.”

Focus Areas

• Animal rights and welfare
• Campaigns against animal testing
• Ending use of animals in entertainment, clothing, and food industries
• Promotion of vegan/plant-based lifestyles

Why Raveena Tandon Received the Award

• Recognised for adopting a completely meat-free lifestyle
• Known for her consistent activism on behalf of both domestic and wild animals.
• Actively promotes empathy for animals through awareness drives and educational campaigns.

Contributions to Wildlife Protection

• Partnered with her daughter to donate a life-sized mechanical elephant to a Jain temple in Karnataka, supporting the temple’s pledge to avoid using live elephants.
• Advocated for wildlife conservation by urging government intervention to protect habitats affected by development projects.
• Raised concerns about cases of animal violence, including the killing of a leopard by villagers.

Advocacy for Humane Education

• Supports PETA India’s Compassionate Citizen programme, which aims to instil empathy in school-age children.
• Works to integrate animal welfare awareness into educational spaces, helping young learners develop sensitivity toward other species.

Work for Homeless and Community Animals

• Has adopted several animals, including dogs and cats, and personally rescued a kitten from a busy Mumbai road.
• Featured in campaigns discouraging the purchase of pets from breeders and encouraging adoption of homeless animals.

Promoting Ethical and Cruelty-Free Choices

• Highlighted cruelty in industries that exploit animals for leather and exotic skins.
• Encouraged plant-based food habits and publicly urged major food chains to offer vegan options in India.
• Uses her social media reach to amplify messages about sustainable and ethical living.

Past Recipients of the Award

• Previous honorees include actors like Alia Bhatt, Anushka Sharma, Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, and Dia Mirza.
• Sports personalities and public figures like Virat Kohli and Justice KS Panicker Radhakrishnan have also received the award, showing the diversity of contributions recognised by PETA India.

Other Winner Category