KHARAGPUR: A 7- to 8-year-old skewbald pony found limping through traffic on Kharagpur’s Malancha Road with severely overgrown hooves and other painful health conditions has been rescued and transported to an Animal Rahat sanctuary for veterinary care and rehabilitation. The rescue was carried out following action by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals India (PETA India), with assistance from West Midnapore district magistrate Bijin Krishna; Superintendent of Police Papiya Sultana; Kharagpur sub-divisional officer Bhuvana Pranith Pappula; Kharagpur Animal Resources Development department deputy director Chinmoy Chakraborty; Kharagpur Town Police Station inspector-in charge Amit Kumar Mitra; and local animal advocate Sudebi Bhattacharya. The operation also received support from Members of Parliament June Maliah and Sayani Ghosh.The abandoned pony was suffering from severely overgrown and enlarged hooves, swollen fetlock joints, chronic osteoarthritis, and impaired mobility. Despite the animal’s evident distress, PETA India personnel faced resistance from certain locals, delaying rescue efforts. The pony was finally secured and taken for treatment after intervention by local authorities and the MPs.“This abandoned pony is yet another victim of the joyride industry. This rescue shows what can be achieved when authorities, animal protection groups, and citizens act together,” said Maliah. “I thank PETA India for never giving up on this pony and Animal Rahat for housing the pony and all the officials led by DM Bijin Krishna and SP Sultana for their prompt intervention in the rescue operation. I urge the public to help other ponies by choosing animal-free forms of entertainment.”In Kolkata, PETA India continues to campaign for the protection of horses used to haul tourist carriages. In June 2026 alone, the group registered three FIRs involving neglected or distressed horses, including a foal found running frantically through active traffic, a horse with severely overgrown hooves rescued from the Hastings area, and a mare who died in the middle of traffic in Ekbalpore. Since 2024, at least 18 horses in the city have reportedly died or succumbed to injuries from road accidents and other causes.The Calcutta High Court has taken note of the poor condition of horses, the prevalence of unlicensed hackney carriages, and the abandonment of ailing animals. In an order dated May 9, 2024, it directed the state government to develop a proposal to rehabilitate horse-carriage owners so that replacing horse-drawn carriages, as done in Mumbai, can be considered. On July 7, 2026, PETA India appealed for horse-drawn tourist carriages in Kolkata to be replaced with heritage-style electric carriages.PETA India, whose motto reads in part that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment,” opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview.
