Kolkata witnessed a powerful billboard campaign by PETA India after another horse was found starving, dehydrated, and left to die under the Hastings Flyover. The campaign urges people to say no to horse-drawn carriage rides with the blunt message: "If you care about animals, don’t take carriage rides."
Billboard Locations and Message
The billboards are placed at VIP Road, Kestopur, Baguiati Flyover, Prafulla Kanan, and Narayantala near the airport. Each carries a clear warning against supporting cruelty for entertainment.
Death of a Young Mare
The campaign follows the horrific death of a young mare, only around four years old. She was discovered with no sensation in her legs, no reflexes, one eye infested with maggots, and her body oozing discharge. Despite emergency rescue and veterinary care, she could not survive. PETA India has filed an FIR against the owner for severe neglect and cruelty.
Call to Action for Residents and Tourists
PETA India is calling on Kolkata residents and tourists to stop taking joyrides on horse-drawn carriages and to recognize the suffering behind them. Horses used for these rides are often forced to work on hard roads in extreme conditions, and many are found weak, malnourished, anaemic, or collapsed from exhaustion.
PETA India emphasizes that horses are sensitive, feeling beings who deserve freedom, care, and dignity—not pain, overwork, and abandonment. The organization urges the public to help end this outdated and cruel practice by refusing to ride in horse-drawn carriages.
Legal and Alternative Measures
The Calcutta High Court has already raised serious concerns over repeated cases of horses collapsing in the Maidan and Victoria Memorial areas and has asked the state government to explore alternatives for carriage owners. In Mumbai, horse-drawn tourist carriages were successfully replaced with heritage-style e-carriages, offering a humane alternative.
