Two horses collapse during wedding processions, handlers walk away

New Delhi: In two separate incidents in Delhi and Ghaziabad, two horses — injured, exhausted and dressed for wedding processions — collapsed on busy roads, only to be abandoned by their handlers and replaced so that celebrations could continue uninterrupted.

The incidents, reported from Mayur Vihar in east Delhi and Kamla Nagar in Ghaziabad, came to light after commuters alerted animal welfare groups. According to witnesses, instead of arranging medical help, the handlers walked away and returned with replacement horses, leaving the collapsed animals behind without veterinary care.

In the Mayur Vihar case, the horse’s owner never returned. In Ghaziabad, the owner came back nearly 12 hours later — not to check on the mare’s condition, but to reclaim her.

The cases were reported to local police on April 21 by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India. In Ghaziabad, Kannan Animal Welfare (KAW) also joined the rescue effort.

“These two horses were being taken for wedding functions when they collapsed on the streets. The owners abandoned them immediately and went to arrange replacements. People urged them to take the animals to hospitals, but they didn’t bother,” said Meet Ashar, legal adviser and director of cruelty response at PETA India.

Following the complaints, PETA India’s Rapid Response Team rushed to both locations. The mare from Mayur Vihar was given on-the-spot treatment for several hours to stabilise and was later shifted to a sanctuary for further veterinary care and rehabilitation.

In Ghaziabad, the mare was left unattended on the street for nearly 12 hours before the owner attempted to claim her. “The Ghaziabad mare was diagnosed with laminitis in all four limbs, a severe and painful condition. The horse from Mayur Vihar had swollen tendons and injuries across her back, likely caused by whipping and overwork,” Ashar said, adding that such incidents were “quite common”.

KAW later handed the Ghaziabad horse over to PETA India due to her critical condition, and she was moved to a sanctuary for close monitoring.

“Forcing horses to work on hard roads leads to painful and irreversible conditions,” said PETA India cruelty response coordinator Ishani Rathee.
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