RSPCA apologizes for killing temple cow

LONDON, Dec. 14 (UPI) -- The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has agreed to apologize to a Hindu temple in England for euthanizing one of its cows.

After talks arranged by Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, a patron of the RSPCA, the group also offered to buy a replacement cow for the Bhaktivedanta Manor Temple in Watford, an outlying area of London, The Independent reported.

The cow-killing occurred in December 2007. Gangotri, part of the temple's herd, had become paralyzed and was being cared for by temple herdsmen. The RSPCA, however, determined that the cow should be relieved of unnecessary suffering.

"We recognize we offended religious sensibilities," a spokesman for the RSPCA said. "We know what happened caused a lot of offense to the Hindu community and we wanted to show that we want to work with Britain's Hindus in the future. The RSPCA has so much in common with Britain's Hindus when it comes to our attitude towards animal welfare."