Srinagar: Animal Rescue Kashmir (ARK), an animal rights NGO has filed a complaint against some individuals here accusing them of mistreating and exploiting abandoned horses in the Valley.
Animal rights activist and the organisation director Dawood Mohammad told ETV Bharat that the group has yet to file a proper First Information Report (FIR), but has written a letter to Cyber Police requesting them to take necessary actions to end the continued abuses of animal rights happening in Srinagar, Ganderbal, and Kupwara and other parts of Kashmir.
“The culprits are mostly minors who are abusing horses,” Dawood said. “We have urged the Cyber Police to counsel them, as these minors are being influenced by each other's videos posted on social media.”
Dawood warned that an FIR would be filed if the exploitation of horses for recreational purposes continued without proper care and precautions. In the letter to Cyber Police, Dawood detailed how acts of animal cruelty and illegal activities are frequently recorded and shared on social media platforms.
“Individuals are uploading videos of themselves riding abandoned horses in ways that constitute severe animal abuse. These boys are tying the horses' mouths with nylon strings to control them, which is extremely painful and inhumane,” he said.
The ARK director further described how the horses, when not being ridden, are tied up with their legs bound and deprived of food and water for extended periods. Many of the youths seen in the videos are also performing stunts on the animals, often leading to injuries.