PETA files complaint over police horse use at Mannheim football derby

The animal rights organization PETA has filed a complaint with the Mannheim Veterinary Office following the use of police horses during riots at a DFB-Pokal derby between SV Waldhof Mannheim and 1. FC Kaiserslautern.

The complaint targets both the unidentified individuals who allegedly threw pyrotechnics toward the animals and the police officers responsible for the mounted unit's deployment. PETA argues that the use of horses was “completely senseless” and subjected the animals to unnecessary stress and danger.

PETA specialist Dr. Yvonne Würz criticized the decision to use sensitive flight animals as a deterrent, calling the practice “morally unjustifiable.” The organization has also called on Baden-Württemberg Interior Minister Manuel Hagel to end the use of horses in police service, citing scientific evidence regarding animal stress and noting that the Hamburg police have planned to dissolve their mounted unit by 2027.