New York City Public Hearing–Ban Horse Drawn Carriages
Written by Vegetarian Star on January 25th, 2010 in Animal Issues.
New York city councilman Tony Avella had plans to discuss removing horse drawn carriages from city streets at a public hearing today, according to the New York Post.
“In the last 18 months, there have been at least seven accidents involving horses in the city, with three horses killed and five people injured,” said Avella.
“And that’s only the ones we know about,” he said.
Several celebrities have shown their support to end the long tradition, including Alec Baldwin and Chrissie Hynde.
Baldwin once compared the industry to “drug dealers” and “public intoxication” and Glee star Lea Michele lent her face to a PETA advertisement, Buck Cruelty.
Cited by The Gothamist, New York state director for the Humane Society Patrick Swan said, “Carriage horses often work in oppressive and inhumane weather conditions, including in the sweltering heat and extreme cold. The horses were forced to work – despite the bitter cold, despite the icy, dangerous and slippery conditions, and despite current laws that say they should not have been out on the streets working and competing in the traffic with emergency vehicles.”
Avella hopes to take 220 horses off the streets of the NYC.
Will some of them retire through the Carriage Horse Adoption Program?
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February 2nd, 2010 at 2:44 am
I don’t know why some factions of the animal rights groups still keep repeating the same mythology. There ARE regulations in place that carriage horses can’t work when it’s above 90 or below 18. Carriage horses are well cared for, thank you very much.
Trying to bring down the carriage industry will only cause a bigger problem, unwanted horses. Adopting horses is no self-contained kennel like adopting a dog or cat. You can’t horde 40 horses in an apartment. Horse rescues are already overwhelmed and a sad reality is that many unwanted horses are still sold at auction to be shipped for slaughter. In this economy, people are having to give up their horses, because they can no longer afford them.
Instead of picking on the carriage drivers, go to some auction and rescue a horse. Support it for the next 20 years at $400/month.
Do the math and find a more worthwhile issue than complaining about horses that have homes and people that take care of them.