05 May,2011 06:41 AM IST | | Rinkita Gurav
You may love those weekend tonga rides, but the overworked horses definitely don't; an animal lover's recent attempt to get medical aid for a horse has opened up a can of worms
Walking past the tongas lined up near the Gateway of India, you may often have commiserated with the horses on their sorry condition. Perhaps you turned a blind eye to their predicament a hopped on for a merry ride. But a man with an intense love for animals didn't simply mouth platitudes and turn away from the plight of the beasts. Noting that a horse attached to a tonga was in dire need of medical assistance, he went out of his way to ensure that its life was saved.
Cruel: Animal lover Shailesh Mehta found this horse limping withu00a0wounds
all over its body. The animal was taken to the SPCA for treatment.
Pics/Shadab Khan
Shailesh Mehta, an intense lover of the birds and the beasts, has for many years been rescuing birds in the city, and makes regular visits to the Gateway of India to feed the pigeons, and rescue those in dire need of medical attention. During one such trip, he came across a limping horse, with wounds all over its body, in a state of severe physical debilitation. He said, "I immediately inquired about the tonga's owner. When I found him, I asked him to take the horse to an animal hospital for medical treatment. When I went back there after a few days, I found that the horse's condition had worsened, and it had received no medical treatment." Realising that his advice to the tongawala had fallen on deaf ears, Mehta then got in touch with a vet who helps animals in distress, and directed him to Mahendra, the horse's negligent owner.
The horse was then treated by Dr Amit Sharma, a volunteer with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA). A samaritan and saviour for animals in need, he attends to calls from across the city to treat animals. Sharma said, "I had examined the horse a couple of weeks ago and it was in an abject condition. I had told Mahendra to let the horse rest for ten days at least, in order to recover fully." They vet further added that the wounds, being superficial, would heal completely if they were tended to with care and attention. "The floor of the stable where they stay is uneven, as a result of which these horses often lose their balance, fall and hurt themselves," he added.
Mehta said, "If the horse Mahendra's sole source of income, then he should take care of it as well. There are other animal lovers like me who have seen the horse and informed the SPCA, but nothing has been done to assist the poor beast."u00a0 Dr (Col) J Khanna, secretary of BSPCA, spoke to MiD DAY, saying, "I had received complaints regarding the horse, and also sent a team. I will look into the case and send another team to check on the horse again."
Expert speak
PETA's chief functionary, Poorva Joshipura said, "PeTA investigators in Mumbai have documented that horses who are used to pull carts are beaten and whipped in order to be worked beyond their capacity. These horses are not fed a nutritious diet, and given filthy water to drink. Stables are often damp, squalid, and infested with flies and other insects which breed due to the accumulation of horse faeces and urine. When wounded or injured, these horses typically receive no veterinary care. Even if it is ministered, the need for follow-ups is ignored. Horse carts are a cruel and outdated means of transport, and should be relegated to the history books."
The Other Side
Mahendra, a tongawala for the last ten years, had been overlooking the crippled and emaciated condition of his beast for the past several weeks. "I am not well-to-do enough to be able to spend a large sum on his treatment. Last week I took him to a vet, who instructed me to give him complete rest for eight days. This is inconceivable for me, as I will incur heavy losses if I stop plying my tonga. I do love him, but I cannot afford the exorbitant hospital charges," said Mahendra. He further told MiD DAY that he earned Rs 3,000 on a weekday, raking in nearly Rs 10,000 on weekends. "How can I afford to lose so much money?" he asked.
Outmoded
Horse-drawn carriages have already been banned in numerous cities around the world, including Paris, London and several cities in USA. New York City is considering a ban on horse-drawn carriages. Delhi is working on a gradual phase out of tongas.
