To All NYCLASS Friends and Supporters:

As we begin 2014, we can look back at 2013 as a watershed year in the animal rights movement…thanks to all of you! 

BY ERIN DURKIN / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2014, 2:30 AM

Horse carriage drivers scrambling to stop the city from banning their industry have teamed up with a St. Louis-based consulting firm that bills itself as fighting “radical animal rights extremists.”

The Cavalry Group, a lobbying and advocacy organization, has launched a social media campaign targeting Mayor de Blasio for supporting legislation to outlaw the Central Park carriage rides.

“They used to hang horse thieves. Now they elect them mayor!” read one tweet from the group.

Congratulations to Melissa Mark-Viverito -- a true animal rights hero -- on her election as New York City Council Speaker.  

We are thrilled that the Brooklyn delegation, led by Chairman Frank Seddio, is joining the progressive bloc in supporting Melissa Mark-Viverito as New York City's next Council Speaker. Ms. Mark-Viverito has fought for animal rights throughout her time on the Council and was a prime sponsor of legislation that would phase out horse-drawn carriages in New York City, replacing them with vintage electric cars. She is a true animal hero, and we look forward to working with Speaker Mark-Viverito and Mayor de Blasio as we move toward a humane and vibrant future for all New Yorkers -- two-legged and four-legged alike.

A few weeks back, Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio tore the house down with his speech about retiring the inhumane carriage horse industry at NYCLASS' Animal Hero Awards event. But it’s this line in particular I keep thinking about:

In 2013, NYCLASS made history by making animal protection a part of mainstream political conversation in NYC. We mobilized humane voters and elected the first pro-animal Mayor in the country and dozens of pro-animal City Council Members.

One year ago, almost no one believed it was possible.

We were mocked. We were ridiculed. We were written off as crazy cat ladies.

Tomorrow, all of our hard work from the last year comes to fruition. Humane voters like you will make history by electing the first ever pro-animal Mayor, Bill de Blasio, and dozens of animal-friendly City Council Members. 

If we show our paw power at the polls tomorrow, we’ll finally be in position to end the abuse of carriage horses and fix our city's animal shelter system. 

Get out and vote Tues, Nov 5! Visit our Humane Voter Election Center to find your polling place, see our endorsements for your district, then forward this to 5 friends.

Live on television last Tuesday night, both candidates for NYC Mayor, Bill de Blasio and Joe Lhota, pledged to end the inhumane horse carriage industry. For the first time in American history, animal protection is playing a huge role in a major election. This is a momentous milestone for the humane voter movement. 

Did you know NYCLASS picked up five pro-animal seats in the City Council? Well, we did!