Pune: Now Animal Rights Group Flags Donkey Abuse in Viral Thar Protest, Writes to Collector for Action
Wakad, 21st November 2025: A Junnar resident recently used two donkeys to tow his Mahindra Thar to a Wakad dealership in a dramatic protest over alleged vehicle defects. Now, a leading animal welfare organisation has formally complained to the Pune District Collector, alleging cruelty and legal violations.
Humane World for Animals India Foundation (formerly Humane Society International: India) has written a detailed letter to the Collector, who also chairs the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), urging immediate action against those involved in forcing the donkeys to pull the SUV — a vehicle weighing between 1.6 and 1.8 tonnes.
The letter states that the viral stunt, staged on a public road and accompanied by drums and a small procession, subjected the animals to extreme physical strain. The organisation said the donkeys appeared tense, with their heads pulled downward and gait unsteady as they attempted to drag a vehicle over 30 times the maximum lawful load permitted for the species.
According to the Draught and Pack Animals Rules, 1965, a donkey is classified only as a pack animal, allowed to carry no more than 50 kg and not permitted as a draught animal at all. Even for animals legally allowed to pull loads, the maximum limit is 750 kg for a two-wheeled vehicle with pneumatic tyres.
Calling the act “archaic, unnecessary, and abusive,” the foundation said the protest undermines technological and moral progress that freed animals from such forms of labour.
The letter notes that the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, explicitly prohibits such treatment of animals, and cites additional references such as the Election Commission’s advisory banning the use of live animals for symbolic demonstrations.
The organisation has requested the Collector to:
• Direct the SPCA and local police to identify the individuals involved and conduct a veterinary assessment of the donkeys
• Register offences under Sections 11(1)(a), 11(1)(b) and 38 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, along with Section 100 and 119 of the Maharashtra Police Act
They warned that allowing such conduct to go unchallenged would “normalise apathy” toward working animals and weaken legal protections.
The protest itself was staged by Junnar resident Ganesh Sangade, who claimed that despite multiple service visits, his Mahindra Thar continued to have water leakage, loud engine noise, rust patches, poor mileage, and daily refuelling issues. In frustration, he tied two donkeys to the SUV and marched it to the Wakad dealership with the support of a small dhol-tasha troupe, drawing crowds and triggering a wave of online reactions.
While the viral video sparked widespread debate on consumer rights and after-sales service in the automobile sector, the latest complaint has shifted focus toward animal welfare and potential legal consequences for the stunt.
Police or district authorities have yet to issue an official response to the foundation’s complaint.
