Actor Nargise Bagheri seeks help for horses in Kolkata

Kolkata, May 17 : Actor Nargise Bagheri stripped down ''Lady Godiva''- style for a leading role in a new advertisement for People Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), India, hoping to draw attention to the plight of horses, harnessed to carts bearing heavy loads or people seeking joy rides.

In the advertisement, released PETA today, Bagheri, covered only by her long tresses, poses on a dark horse next to the words ''don't get taken for a ride, horse-drawn carts are cruel''.

By appearing in the ad, the actor seeks to warn potential tonga and 'Victoria' passengers that these so called joy rides are basically joyless for the horses and potentially dangerous for both riders and the animals.

''Horse carts are cruel and outdated and should be relegated to history books,'' Bagehri pointed out.

PETA and its supporters, including actors John Abraham and Hema Malini, have contactd Mumbai officials urging them to remove horse-drawn carts from the city streets.

PETA had also written to the authorities in Delhi calling for a horse-cart ban there as well and this month, a ban was implemented by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).

PETA is now aiming at a similar ban in greater Kolkata in order to give respite to these suffering animals.