Michael Albans
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's daughter Georgina sits atop a horse in Times Square to promote Dover Saddlery's listing on the Nasdaq. But she's less accepting of other horses trotting around the city — specifically those that pull those ubiquitous carriages.
A prominent animal rights group that’s frequently at odds with City Hall had nothing but praise for Bloomberg on Monday — Georgina, that is, not Michael.
Advocates lauded the mayor’s daughter for speaking out on the poor conditions in the city’s horse-drawn carriage industry — a position that puts her at odds with her famous father.
Mayor Bloomberg has defended the old-fashioned carriages, which are loathed by animal rights groups but popular with tourists and a staple in Central Park.
His daughter — an equestrian who competes all over the world and is now three months pregnant — stopped short of bashing the industry. But she said she was not convinced the horses were receiving the best care.
“Obviously, for me, my heart is always with the horses and I always want them to be kept in the best condition possible, which I don’t believe they are,” she said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal.
“Maybe the time has come for them to go.”
NYCLASS (New York for Clean, Livable and Safe Streets) — which has tried for years to have horse carriages banned in the city — called the younger Bloomberg “courageous.”
Bryan Smith
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg supports the city's horse-drawn carriages, a big favorite with tourists. His daughter Georgina, an accomplished horsewoman, is now speaking out against the livery cabs., which are also despised by animal rights activists.
“Ms. Bloomberg is a knowledgeable, accomplished equestrian who spoke from the heart about the state of horses on dangerous midtown streets,” director Allie Feldman said.
“We are grateful to Ms. Bloomberg for her commitment to the humane treatment of animals.”
Georgina Bloomberg also took a swipe at Animal Care & Control, the agency the city contracts with to run its shelter system for stray pets.
“Government doesn’t care about animals,” she said in The Journal interview.
“[The city’s shelters aren’t] a place where people want to go to adopt animals, which, to me, is a failure.”
A spokesman with Animal Care & Control said the agency has doubled the number of adoptions over the past decade, while reducing euthanization by two-thirds.
“The city committed last year to increasing Animal Care & Control’s budget 77% by 2015, making our shelters among the highest publicly funded in the country,” said Richard Gentles, a spokesman for Animal Care & Control.