Video: Horse Dragged Behind Moving Vehicle Now Safe and Thriving After PETA Rescue

Manila — The viral video was shocking: a horse tied to a moving pickup truck with a rope around his neck, forced to run nearly on a steep, winding cemented road until he collapsed from exhaustion. When the footage surfaced, PETA tracked down the horse—named Kabang—to an unlicensed ranch in Misamis Oriental, and immediately flew down to meet with government officials and secure Kabang’s rescue. Now, as a newly released PETA video shows, Kabang has gone from being treated like a piece of equipment to being respected and cared for in a loving home. Images and high-resolution versions of the videos in different formats are available here.

PETA provided Kabang with much-needed pain medication, and, with help from local authorities, later secured full custody—while Kabang’s former owner was banned for life from caring for animals. PETA then faced a daunting challenge: getting Kabang to a horse hospital in Batangas. A PETA-arranged veterinary exam revealed he was suffering from severe lameness, hip pain, and hoof inflammation—and his former owner had never sought veterinary care following the incident. When long-distance passenger ships and air cargo companies refused to transport a horse, PETA secured a horse trailer and truck and embarked on a six-day, more than 1,500 km journey by land and sea that included two ferry crossings, stopping frequently so Kabang could graze and rest. When the team arrived at the hospital in Batangas, Kabang .

Today, Kabang lives a peaceful, comfortable life with Dr. Steve Ternura, his adopter and the veterinarian who stood by his side throughout the six-day journey that brought him home for good.

“Kabang suffered terribly at the hands of someone who had no regard for his well-being, but he will never again be forced to run behind a vehicle or carry humans on his back,” says PETA President Jason Baker. “PETA will continue working with authorities to hold animal abusers accountable and urges everyone to report cruelty when they see it.”

For a detailed account of Kabang’s journey from abuse to safety, see PETA’s web feature here.

Members of the media are welcome to meet Kabang at his home in Nagcarlan, Laguna, upon request.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—points out that when it comes to the ability to feel pain, hunger, and thirst, a horse is a dog is a boy. For more information, please visit PETAAsia.com or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.

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