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Dear Alan,
Earlier this week, New York City residents watched in horror
as news stories unraveled the most recent testament to the
inherent cruelty and dangers of the horse-drawn carriage
industry. A tragic
accident in Manhattan—in which a horse pulling a
carriage collided with an automobile, leaving the carriage
driver critically injured and the horse fatally
wounded—has made it clear that horses simply do not belong
on city streets.
Through the years, PETA has received countless calls about
the conditions in which horses are forced to work in New York
City. Reports that animals are overloaded and overworked, forced
to work in extreme temperatures, and denied adequate veterinary
care are the rule rather than the exception. In addition, the
public safety hazards of operating a carriage company on the
bustling streets of a major city cannot be ignored.
Several cities have realized that the time has come to retire
this antiquated industry. Biloxi, Mississippi; Las Vegas and
Reno, Nevada; Palm Beach, Panama City, Key West, Deerfield
Beach, and Pompano Beach, Florida; Santa Fe, New Mexico; and
Camden, New Jersey, have all banned horse-drawn carriage
operations, as have London, Paris, and Toronto. Just recently,
the sole carriage operator in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, was
subjected to such heavy restrictions that the company
folded.
Please help New York City follow these cities’ leads by
contacting your district’s City Council member and
encouraging him or her to sponsor an ordinance that would
relegate this cruel industry to New York City’s history
books.
To send a short, polite letter to your City Council
member, please click
here. Locate the district number in which you reside, and
click on the corresponding City Council member for contact
information. In your letter, please consider requesting a
meeting with your City Council member to discuss a proposed ban.
If your City Council member agrees, contact PETA right away and
we will help you prepare.
Please send copies of your letters to the mayor:
The Honorable Michael R. Bloomberg
Mayor of New York
City
City Hall
New York, NY 10007
Send a
Message
It is vital that we speak up now while this issue is in the
public’s eye, so we can ensure that this horrific accident
did not occur in vain. Thank you for helping animals!
Yours truly,
Jackie
Vergerio
Animals in Entertainment Specialist
People
for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
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