Watch: Scared Horse In Nightclub Sparks Controversy

A Florida nightclub incurred the wrath of attendees and Facebook users Thursday and Friday for alleged animal cruelty. Mokai Lounge in Miami Beach, Florida, captured negative attention after videos taken in the club this week showed a dancer on an obviously unsettled horse.

In the video, a dancer sits atop a white horse, which starts bucking wildly as it seemingly got spooked by the sensory overload of the nightclub. Opponents of this practice accused the club of animal cruelty, the Miami New Times reported, which prompted Miami Beach Police to start an investigation into the matter.

Mokai Lounge has not posted anything about the incident at this time, but angry Facebook users continue to let their thoughts be heard on the club’s page.

“You guys are absolutely disgusting allowing animal cruelty inside your club,” one user posted. “[I] hope you get penalized severely for what you put that poor animal through,” another user wrote.

Horses can be easily startled by loud noises, which would obviously be present in a packed south Florida nightclub. Aside from potentially breaching Miami Beach code, the act was viewed as potentially traumatic for the horse.

The Miami Herald noted that there was a Change.org petition to get police to take action against whoever decided to bring the horse into Mokai. The club’s Yelp page was also bombarded with negative reviews, complaining not only about alleged animal cruelty, but also about bad drinks and high prices.

Animal cruelty is a first-degree misdemeanor in Florida, with the potential punishment of hefty fines.