Statements from NYCLASS, ASPCA, HSUS, PETA, ALDF, AFS, THL, AH, IDA and HEART on City's New Horse Carriage Proposal

NYCLASS statement on New York City's new horse carriage industry proposal: "After careful consideration of the legislation, we support its passage to help protect the carriage horses from traffic and cruelty. While we remain hopeful that the City Council will tweak it to include more humane temperature and age requirements, we urge the Council to adopt this bill. The Mayor and the Speaker have stood up for horses and we are ready to stand with them. We urge you all to join us at City Hall on Friday to make your support loud and clear."

Statement from the ASPCA: "As an organization that has advocated for horses for 150 years, we believe that using horses to pull tourists through congested city streets is unnatural, unnecessary and an undeniable strain on the horses' quality of life. We look forward to working with the mayor and City Council to improve the lives of carriage horses in New York City and we would welcome efforts to restrict the carriage horses to Central Park. We remain committed to working with rescue networks to find humane placement for any former carriage horses who will be retired and in need of a home."

Statement from The Humane Society of the United States: “The Humane Society of the United States supports the agreement to limit the use of horse-drawn carriages to the confines of Central Park and remove them from busy city streets shared by motor vehicles. The HSUS is committed to working with Mayor de Blasio, the City Council, and other stakeholders to ensure that conditions for these animals are improved and every horse has a safe, humane retirement.” 

Statement from PETA: “Some of the worst cruelties the horses endure are the street traffic that spooks them and puts them at risk for accidents, and the cramped stalls that don’t allow them to stretch out after their grueling work. PETA would love to see these beasts of burden retired away from the city, but Mayor de Blasio is right that being out of traffic, in the park, and living in stalls in which they can lie down and rest is a truly significant improvement for the horses." 

Statement from The Animal Legal Defense Fund: "The Animal Legal Defense Fund supports Mayor de Blasio’s compromise proposal that removes horse carriages from New York City’s busy streets and provides the horses with additional and badly needed protections like daily turnout, larger stalls, and true furlough.  Although the horses deserve a full ban, ALDF acknowledges that these improvements are preferable to the status quo, namely an industry that in its current form is inescapably inhumane. We thank Mayor de Blasio and Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito for bringing the legislation and pledge our cooperation in advancing it, and to working with the City’s agencies to enforce these protections so that the horses receive the full set of guarantees the legislation provides."

 

Statement from Woodstock Farm Sanctuary: "As an organization that rescues hundreds of animals from exploitative industries and which has thousands of constituents in New York City, Woodstock Farm Sanctuary stands in solidarity with NYCLASS and its colleagues in their efforts to pass this legislation, and in fact we will continue to work on strengthening such efforts to ultimately achieve an end to the use of horse drawn carriages in the city."

 

Statement from The Humane League: "The Humane League views limiting the operation of horse-drawn carriages in New York City to Central Park as a step in the right direction. While there is still room for improvement, THL supports this agreement as it will meaningfully reduce animal suffering. We thank the Mayor and Speaker for their work on this issue."

 

Statement from In Defense of Animals: "With tragic and preventible accidents happening between horse carriages and cars, we fully support the passage of Intro 573A, which would restrict the carriage horses to Central Park and take them out of dangerous city traffic. We urge the City Council to make this legislation as strong as possible to give maximum protection to horses."

 

Statement from Humane Education Advocates Reaching Teachers (HEART): "It has been well documented from various accidents that it is dangerous for horses to walk in the middle of congested traffic on our city streets. There are other cities and countries that have already banned horse drawn carriages or restricted their use and it is time for New York City to do the same.  Passage of this legislation would help our city’s horses by limiting their work to Central Park and show our youth that NYC is willing to take steps to create a more compassionate community for all."

 

Statement from Animal Haven: "Animal Haven gives its support to legislation to move the carriage horses to Central Park and relieve them of the many dangers on our busy city streets.  We urge the City Council to continue to work to make the bill as strong as possible to protect the animals.  Animal Haven supports Mayor De Blasio and the Speaker as they continue to fight for the horses.  We also stand with all the other animal welfare groups who want to see them living a better life in the city we call home."

 

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