A 7- to 8-year-old pony found limping through traffic on Kharagpur’s Malancha Road has been rescued and moved to an Animal Rahat sanctuary for veterinary treatment and rehabilitation, following intervention by animal welfare workers and local authorities.
The skewbald pony was found with severely overgrown and enlarged hooves, swollen fetlock joints, chronic osteoarthritis and impaired mobility. The condition left the animal struggling to move through traffic, according to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals India (PETA India), which coordinated the rescue.
The operation involved 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 and Kharagpur Town Police Station inspector-in-charge Amit Kumar Mitra. Local animal advocate Sudebi Bhattacharya also assisted.
Members of Parliament June Maliah and Sayani Ghosh supported the intervention. PETA India said its personnel faced resistance from some local residents, delaying efforts to secure the pony. The animal was eventually taken into care after local authorities and the MPs intervened.
Maliah described the pony as another victim of the “joyride industry” and said the rescue demonstrated what could be achieved when authorities, animal protection groups and citizens worked together. She also urged the public to choose forms of entertainment that do not use animals.
The rescue comes amid continuing concerns over horses used to haul tourist carriages in Kolkata. PETA India said it registered three first information reports in the city in June 2026 involving neglected or distressed horses. The cases included a foal found running through active traffic, a horse with severely overgrown hooves rescued from Hastings and a mare that died in traffic in Ekbalpore.
According to PETA India, at least 18 horses in Kolkata have died or succumbed to injuries from road accidents and other causes since 2024. The organisation has continued to campaign for the protection of horses used for tourist carriages and for replacing horse-drawn vehicles with animal-free alternatives.
The Calcutta High Court has previously taken note of the condition of horses, the presence of unlicensed hackney carriages and the abandonment of ailing animals. In an order dated May 9, 2024, the court directed the state government to prepare a proposal for rehabilitating horse-carriage owners so that horse-drawn carriages could be replaced, as in Mumbai.
On July 7, 2026, PETA India appealed for horse-drawn tourist carriages in Kolkata to be replaced with heritage-style electric carriages. The rescued pony has now been moved to Animal Rahat for veterinary care and rehabilitation.
