Animal Welfare Policy
Our commitment to indigenous cow welfare
Last updated: 01 June 2026
Go-LX exists to protect indigenous Indian cows — the breeds that built our agriculture and culture and are now, in many cases, endangered. The marketplace, the adoption flow and the gaushala directory all sit inside one welfare frame: cows are not inventory, and the platform is accountable for where every cow ends up.
Six commitments
Indigenous breeds only
Only pure indigenous Indian cow breeds are eligible for the marketplace. Jersey × HF crossbreds, exotic dairy breeds, and the generic "local mixed" bucket are intentionally excluded from breed landing pages because preserving heritage genetics is part of the welfare commitment.
Every listing reviewed
A human admin reviews every cow listing before it goes live. Photos are inspected for authenticity, breed claims cross-checked against visible markers, and any listing with red flags — false breed claims, suspicious pricing, missing health information — is rejected with a written reason that the seller can read.
Adoption is seva, not a transaction
Cow adoption on Go-LX is free of cost. What adopters commit to in return is a written pledge of lifelong care — never resale, never slaughter, and never abandonment if the cow stops giving milk. The pledge is timestamped and stored as part of the adoption record.
Never to slaughter
Go-LX refuses to be a discovery surface for the meat trade. Listings that suggest commercial slaughter intent — by the listed breed, framing, or price — are rejected. Sellers who fail or attempt to circumvent this are removed from the platform.
Gaushala partnership
Verified gaushalas (cow shelters) operate alongside the marketplace as a safety net. When a cow has nowhere honest to go, the gaushala directory routes adopters to organisations that can take her on. Gaushala registration requires a registration/trust number we can verify.
Auditable handover trail
Every adoption requires dual confirmation — the giver initiates the handover, the adopter confirms receipt. Both steps are timestamped and recorded in a durable activity log. The completed handover is published on the public Happy Homes page (anonymised to district level) so the cow's journey has a public, traceable end-state.
The Adopter Pledge
“I commit to the lifelong care of this cow. I will not sell her, send her to a slaughterhouse, or abandon her at any point — including when she stops giving milk. If circumstances ever make it impossible for me to keep her, I will return her to the giver or transfer her to a verified gaushala. I understand that breaking this pledge is a betrayal of trust and may bar me from future adoptions on Go-LX.”
Every adopter accepts this pledge before submitting an intent. Acceptance is timestamped and stored alongside the adoption record.
What gets rejected
- Non-indigenous listings. Cross-breeds, Jersey/HF cattle, buffaloes and other species. The marketplace is indigenous-only.
- Listings without health basics. Age, breed and at least one in-frame photo must be provided. Vaccination status is strongly preferred.
- Suspicious pricing. Prices that read as slaughter-rate (well below the regional band for the breed) trigger automatic admin review and are usually rejected.
- Bulk / commercial slaughter framing. Any language suggesting the cow is being offered for meat, leather or by-products.
- Bad-faith adoption applications. Adopters who decline the pledge, refuse the ID-proof verification step, or whose stated home context conflicts with the cow's welfare needs.
Reporting concerns
If you see a listing, a seller, or an adopter that worries you — flag it. Every listing and every user profile has a "Report" option that goes directly to our moderation queue. We treat welfare concerns as the highest-priority report category and act on them within 24 hours.
Welfare questions?
Email welfare@golx.org or use the contact form. We read every message.