Around noon last Friday, a small crowd clumps together on a corner outside Bryant Park. The object of interest isn't easy to miss: a hulking, antique-looking green automobile the size of an SUV, with big bench seats, brass trim, and a steering wheel the size of a pizza pie. “Every place you stop, you get swarmed,” says Jason Wenig, the vehicle's designer and builder.

Accident Involved Notorious "Horse Switch" Driver Frank Luo 

We applaud Councilman Vallone for his leadership on this important issue. Advocates have long fought for these critical shelters to protect homeless, sick and abandoned animals in the Bronx and Queens. This will give animals the best chance at being adopted into loving forever homes. For too long, animals were literally left out in the cold but now with an animal-friendly mayor and council, these important issues are coming to the forefront.

MEDIA ADVISORY

"NYCLASS applauds the mayor's commitment to end the unsafe, abusive and inhumane carriage horse industry in New York City. Despite lies, manipulation and trickery by the carriage horse industry, Mayor de Blasio has never wavered in his commitment and he never will."

What: The carriage driver busted by the NYPD for allegedly forcing his horse to work for multiple days with a painful leg infection will be greeted by NYCLASS protesters at his court appearance Wednesday, Sept 10th. Carriage driver Saverio Colarusso was arrested after a police officer observed that the horse, named Blondie, was desperately struggling to walk. See this New York Times story.

Interview by Morgan Pehme, Editor in Chief, City and State

August 2, 2014

Actress Kathy Najimy first came to public consciousness in her multiple-character ’80s Off Broadway cult hit The Kathy & Mo Show. She soon became a familiar comic scene-stealer in films like Sister Act and sitcoms like Veronica’s Closet, King of the Hill, The Big C and, most recently, Veep.

All throughout her career, Najimy has also been a passionate advocate for a wide spectrum of issues, including women’s and girls’ rights, AIDS awareness and animal rights. For her activism, Ms. Magazinehas named Najimy its Woman of the Year, and she has received accolades such as the L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center’s Distinguished Achievement award and PETA’s Humanitarian of the Year award, which was presented to her by Paul McCartney. In recent years, Najimy has used her star power to push for a ban of New York City’s horse-drawn carriages. City & StateEditor Morgan Pehme spoke with Najimy about how she got involved with the cause, her thoughts on Liam Neeson’s support of the carriages and whether there is any excuse she would accept from Mayor Bill de Blasio if he fails to follow through on his campaign promise to abolish them.