After the CAPE Foundation filed a first information report detailing the appalling abuse and disregard inflicted upon a horse that was employed for weddings and the pulling of Victorian-style carriages in Kolkata, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India moved quickly to save the animal, which was found in distress at the Maidan. The horse had considerable weakness, swelling limbs, and untreated wounds—alarming indicators of maltreatment. Equine specialists concluded that the animal’s legs had suffered serious damage and swelling from working on rough roads and that the festering wounds were probably caused by ill-fitting saddles. Malnutrition and dehydration made these injuries worse, necessitating emergency medical care.

With the assistance of PETA India, the horse has been sent to a refuge run by Animal Rahat, a group approved by the Animal Welfare Board of India. The horse will receive the necessary care and attention from the sanctuary to heal from her traumatic experience. The horse in distress was taken into custody for immediate medical attention thanks to the assistance of the Maidan Police.

In addition to causing traffic accidents, the usage of horse-drawn carriages in Kolkata has left sick and damaged animals. According to Khushboo Gupta, Director of Advocacy at PETA India, “We call on authorities to follow Mumbai’s lead and replace horse-drawn carriages with heritage-style electric vehicles. PETA India has repeatedly emphasized that most of these trains are not licensed and that there are no stables with licenses in Kolkata”.

Six horses have passed away in Kolkata in recent months, and scores more have been discovered to be seriously ill with ailments like shattered bones and to be anemic, emaciated, and chronically hungry, according to data compiled by PETA India and the CAPE Foundation. The horses are forced to labor on rough roads, which results in their bad condition and permanent conditions, but they are nevertheless used to pull huge carriages. They have an incredibly low quality of life and are forced to stand in their feces, so there is no reprieve when they are not working. Both the general population and vehicles are at risk from horse-drawn carriage trips. Humans and horses have suffered severe injuries. Horses who are seriously injured are often abandoned.

Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal, has received a petition from more than 150 veterinarians asking the government to outlaw horse-drawn carriages. The vets observed that horses are compelled to transport heavy loads of people on rough terrain, which might result in leg and hoof issues that are irreversible and cause lameness.

PETA India has written to West Bengal authorities on several occasions, begging them to spare the animals more agony. The group also hopes that the Calcutta High Court would forbid the usage of horses for pulling carriages in the city through public interest litigation. Horse-drawn carriages have been replaced in Mumbai with elegant, retro-styled, animal-free automobiles.

For more information, visit https://www.petaindia.com/

Priyanka Dutta