Animal Rights Activist to Mayor de Blasio: Keep Your Promise to End Unsafe & Abusive Horse Carriage Industry

NYCLASS and Other Animal Rights Activists Protest to Mark One Year Since Mysterious Carriage Horse Disappearance

"We urge the administration to follow through with their commitment to build full service animal shelters in the Bronx and Queens. A first rate city like NYC deserves a first rate animal shelter system. Animals in every borough deserve a safe haven, and residents of every borough need an accessible place to go and adopt them."

-Chelsie Schadt, Lead Organizer, NYCLASS

What: Dozens of animal rights advocates, Jane Velez-Mitchell, The Humane Society of the United States, PETA, Friends of Animals and NYCLASS will protest on the steps of City Hall to call for an investigation into the mysterious death of Tickles the carriage horse. Martha Stewart has also called for an investigation into the fatal injury that occurred in February. (See http://nydn.us/1aLE05M)

Despite claims from the carriage industry that their horse stalls are safe, new FOIL documents NYCLASS has obtained suggest that the horse was injured in his stall before being euthanized by a carriage industry veterinarian. With the horse's owner not providing any further information on the nature of the injury or steps taken to care for the horse, NYCLASS is calling for the Department of Health to launch a formal investigation into the matter.

Where: Steps of City Hall

When: Today, April 2nd at 1:00 pm

The animal rights community celebrates the heroic life and legacy of Sam Simon, a producer, director, and philanthropist.

Sam inspired us all to work towards achieving a more compassionate world. Known for sponsoring spay and neuter clinics in low income neighborhoods, buying circuses and zoos to free captive animals, saving chinchillas from a fur farm or confronting seal hunters, Sam always took on the toughest fights against animal cruelty.

Sam taught us that even in incredibly challenging circumstances, we can each make a profound difference for the animals we share our planet with.

Now more than ever, advocates must work together to build on Sam Simon's legacy for a more humane and compassionate world.

"Animal cruelty cases often fall through the cracks and abusers get off only to hurt more animals, so we applaud Brooklyn DA Thompson for taking this animal hoarding and animal cruelty case seriously. We urge the District Attorney to prosecute Dorota Trec to the fullest extent of the law. If convicted, we would urge the court to ban her from owning pets for life so she can no longer abuse any more animals."

"We're pleased that Ringling Brothers recognizes that consumers have wised up to the animal cruelty happening under the big top. However, a three-year phase out means three years of continued torture. If Ringling is serious about ending abuse, they will send the elephants to a sanctuary now.

"NYCLASS raises a paw for Councilman Vallone, Councilman Johnson and the broad coalition of co-sponsors of this important legislation mandating that every borough of New York has an accessible full-service facility providing sheltering, medical services and adoptions for homeless animals. For too long, shelters have been stretched beyond their means, leading to the euthanasia of otherwise healthy pets. A first rate city deserves a first rate animal shelter system."