Sacred or sinister? Animal sacrifices are on the rise in New York

One of the pigs discovered in July was in a food-filled crate, emaciated and with a deep cut on its face, covered in oils and spices. Kristen Latuga, who runs the Brucie’s Angels animal shelter on Long Island, took in all five suffering pigs.

Some rescuers and local religious leaders suggest these atrocities may be linked to a Hindu sect. Followers reportedly worship the goddess Kali and have practiced animal sacrifice around Jamaica Bay for decades.

Acharya Arun Gossai of the Bhuvaneshwar Mandir Temple in Ozone Park criticized the approach, explaining: ‘It is a misinterpretation of what the Scriptures say about overcoming the animal values. They twisted it and sacrificed a real animal instead of sacrificing the animal qualities of man.”