This handsome bullock, old Gabru—who was the very first bullock saved by Animal Rahat from pulling an oil tank through the streets of Mumbai—is wearing a colorful garland in celebration of the recent Bendur holiday (also known as Bail Pola).

Celebrated in rural communities, the festival is intended to be a time for owners to show appreciation for the bullocks upon whose backs they eke out a living. And even though the animals at Animal Rahat’s home for retired bullocks are no longer working, they were honored for their former hardships with special treats, including sugar balls. This is especially meaningful for the bullocks who used to pull sugarcane carts, as they always wanted to eat the sweet cane but were never allowed to touch it.

Local villagers celebrate Bendur by decorating their bullocks’ bodies with colored powder (which is often toxic), painting their horns (and sometimes rasping them, which can expose the nerves and cause extreme pain), and then parading them through the streets. So each year, our veterinarians go to the local festivals and convince as many owners as possible to pledge not to rasp their bullocks’ horns or decorate them with chemical powders or paint (which can cause horn cancer). Animal Rahat provides free brightly colored tape to wrap around the bullocks’ horns instead of paint as well as a safe powder that doesn’t irritate their skin.