Maharashtra: Illegal Horse Race At Dahanu Beach Cancelled After PETA India Alerts Police

An illegal horse race was cancelled in Dahanu after People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India alerted the police.

Upon receiving information about an illegal horse race scheduled for Sunday at Dahanu Beach through an Instagram post, PETA India had notified Palghar police and successfully prevented the event from taking place.

Statement Of Sunayana Basu, Cruelty Response Coordinator At PETA India

Sunayana Basu, Cruelty Response Coordinator at PETA India, said, “Horse and horse cart races are cruel as they force animals to endure extreme physical strain, often causing injury, exhaustion, and even death. These animals already have a hard life without being forced to endure the additional torment of being beaten and compelled to race.”

PETA India Commends Palghar Police

PETA India commended Palghar Police, particularly Balasaheb Patil, Superintendent of Police and Sangeeta Shinde Alphonso, Deputy Superintendent of Police (Home), for upholding the law and protecting the horses from abuse.

The animal welfare organisation said that horses used for racing are forced to sprint through whippings and weapons, at speeds so fast they frequently sustain injuries and can even haemorrhage from the lungs. In 2016, the Rajasthan High Court prohibited tonga races in Rajasthan after reviewing a report from the Animal Welfare Board of India. The report highlighted that horses suffer from cruelty when they are compelled to run amid noisy vehicles and loud spectators, causing them fear and distress.

Notably, a Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Court, in December, had granted a Maharashtra-based sanctuary interim custody of twelve horses following their use in illegal horse-cart racing on the Eastern Express Highway after PETA India’s intervention. The race was reportedly conducted from Ghatkopar (E) on December 3 between 3 am and 4 am.

In a similar judgement in December, another Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Court granted PETA India interim custody of four horses following their use in illegal racing on Mumbai’s Western Express Highway in June.