VALENTINE'S DAY DEMO
Have a heart for the horses
Join the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages, Friends of Animals and Heart for Animals at a demo on Valentine's Day.
- WHEN: Monday, February 14th - from 5:30 to 7:30 PM
- WHERE: north west corner of Central Park South and Fifth Avenue (look for us - we will be there)
This is our new ad in City Guide, which will run for the month of February. The magazine is given out at hotels and tourist attractions.
FLOWERS FOR VALENTINE'S DAY?
Buy online through iGive and help our campaign
iGive makes available over 834 stores where you can buy on line and they give us a percentage of the sales. Stores like 1-800 Flowers, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Dell, HSN, QVC - to name a few. This is the list. See message below about signing up with iGive and help our campaign.
When you buy online, you can have a percentage of your purchase given to us. I do it since I prefer online shopping. It's easy and there are lots of stores available.
DO YOU LIKE TO WRITE?
and do you know this issue well?
We are looking for people who would like to join us in writing on several of our blogs. This requires someone who writes well and knows the issue. Samples requested. You could write commentary as often as you like, but it must be at least once a week. Please contact coalition@banhdc.org if you are interested.
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE ASPCA
by Donny Moss -- director of Blinders
From the blog Carriage Horses NYC - OPEN LETTER TO THE ASPCA by Donny Moss - director of Blinders: The Truth Behind the Tradition - February 1, 2011. This afternoon, someone forwarded to me an e-mail from the ASPCA's equine vet, Pam Corey. She was defending the ASPCA against all the complaints they have received about not doing a good job concerning the NYC carriage horse issue. NYC has recently been hit with quite a bit of snow and icy conditions and the criticisms were well founded.
But no one hit it quite on the head with such a sense of completeness as Donny Moss, the director of the award winning documentary about the carriage industry, known affectionately as Blinders.
In 2008, his documentary was released. Donny has continued to be a strong advocate for the carriage horses and for ethics in politics.
CONTINUED ...
WE SUPPORT THE ELECTRIC CAR BILL
but we want to save the horses now!!
We support Intro 86A, the bill that would phase out the carriage horse industry over three years by introducing electric cars -- but only because it now addresses what will happen to the horses. Last year we asked Council Member Mark Viverito to add that section since the original bill did not consider the horses. But the passage of this bill depends solely on Speaker Christine Quinn and the Mayor. Unfortunately the bill does not need any of us to write to our council members although it is a nice gesture in a democracy. For the most part, the Council Speaker calls the shots and the individual council members take their lead from her. That is how it works.
Quinn recently pushed through the two "animal" bills without our help. All she has to do is give the word and it is a done deal. But those two bills have no substance -- the differential in licensing bill is not large enough to make someone choose neutering over a higher license fee -- and the anti tethering bill would require someone to monitor such a condition for over 12 hours. It is logistically not doable and is unenforceable. Quinn is being lauded as a friend to animals by NY-Class, the ASPCA and Peta - she is anything but.
The hearing for Intro 35 and Intro 86 was held last February, 2010. The electric car bill was being considered for a few years before that. Yet - with all this time, there is still no prototype car. Now we hear there may be one by the end of the year. Maybe. There is too much of a strong bond and alliance between Christine Quinn, the Queens Democratic party and the carriage industry. We feel as long as she is in office, a bill to shut them down does not stand a chance.
This is why we are pushing the City Council to seriously consider our bill -- pass it now and save the horses from the slaughter auctions. This is the text -- taken from the original bill to ban horse-drawn carriages and from the electric car bill - Intro 86A. This is from the existing Administrative Code. The text in brackets represents existing text that is removed; the text underlined is new. �17-329 Disposition of licensed horse. a. The department shall be notified of the transfer of ownership or other disposition of a licensed horse within [ten] five days thereafter. Such notice shall include the date of disposition and [if sold in New York city,] the name and address of the buyer or other transferee and such other information as the commissioner may prescribe.
b. A horse shall not be sold or disposed of except in a humane manner, which, for the purposes of this subchapter shall mean one of the following:
1. The owner shall sell or donate the horse to a private individual who signs an assurance that the horse will not be sold and shall be kept solely as a companion animal and not employed in another horse-drawn carriage business or as a work horse and will be cared for humanely for the remainder of the horse's natural life; or
2. The owner shall sell or donate the horse to a duly incorporated animal sanctuary or duly incorporated animal protection organization whose president or executive director signs an assurance that the horse will not be sold and shall be kept solely as a companion animal and not employed in another horse-drawn carriage business and will be cared for humanely for the remainder of the horse's natural life.
c. Records indicating the name, address and telephone number of the private individual, duly incorporated animal sanctuary or duly incorporated animal protection organization to whom the horse was sold or donated together with the assurance specified above shall be sent by the owner to the department within five days after such sale or donation. A copy of such record shall also be maintained at the stable.
We want to shame the City Council into doing the right thing by these horses. Pass this section now as a separate bill and save the horses from falling through the cracks on the way to the kill auctions. We do not know if the electric car bill will ever go forward.
PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION - IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY DONE SO
Save the horses from the kill auctions NOW
Thanks to all of you for signing this petition. If you have not already done so, please do it now. We are trying to get at as many signatures as possible. For those who want to sign immediately and help the horses - please click here for the petition on Change.org. Please add your name to those who care about these horses.
THE PROBLEM: There are over 200 horses in the NYC carriage trade. The number varies but not by much. Approximately one third falls off the Department of Health registry every year. What does this mean? When an owner decides he wants to get rid of a horse, the existing NYC administrative code is very weak in regulating how this is done. It requires that sales or transfer records be submitted to the Department of Health but only if the transaction was made WITHIN NEW YORK CITY. While this would provide some information for where the horse ended up, it is ABSURD since most of the transactions are made outside the city. The horse auctions are in Pennsylvania and upstate New York.
NO ACCOUNTABILITY: In the last five years, well over 300 NYC carriage horses have disappeared from the Department of Health rolls. I have analyzed and compared information I requested from this city agency through the Freedom of Information Law. Homes were undoubtedly found for some of the horses -- the favorites. But for the vast majority, it is presumed that they went on to auction where there are many kill buyers waiting to buy horse flesh for the ride to the slaughter facilities in Canada. After all, this is the easiest and most feasible thing for an owner to do -- and the most devastating for the horse. This must be controlled by statute. The carriage owners must be held accountable for each and every horse they "dispose of". It is not enough for them to say they find homes for all of their horses. Where is the proof? I defy them to show me the good homes for the over 300 horses I mention above. In June 2010, we found Bobby at the kill auction in Pennsylvania. He was from West Side Livery stables. The ID number was still on his left front hoof - a number that is easily sanded off. WE NEED TO DO THIS NOW: We do not expect the electric car bill to move any time soon. It has been almost one year since the City Council hearing on Intro 86 and although discussed at the hearing, there is still not one model car for the people in power to consider. In the meantime, we need to shame the NYC council for supporting one of the sources for horse slaughter -- the NYC carriage industry. They can at least do the right thing now and get this bill in the works while they wait to decided what to do about an overall ban.
GOOD NEWS FROM COZUMEL, MEXICO
an end to the carriage industry is in sight
We hear from our friends in Cozumel that as of March 30, permits to operate horse drawn carriages will be canceled by the government, which will finally be enforcing a law that is already on the books. However, we are warned to remain vigilant since a new government will come into power around the same time. It is also not known what will happen to the horses. We stand ready to put the word out to rescue groups if it comes to that. The worry is that the Mexican slaughter houses are close by. Read this article from February 4, 2011.
Still - Congratulations to all horse advocates in Cozumel. It was your hard work that brought the issue this far. We support you and hope that this actually takes place. Hooves Crossed! We want to use Cozumel as an example for NYC.
UPDATE ON NOVEMBER ACCIDENT
carriage horse was clipped by bus
Back in November, we reported that a carriage horse accident took place in mid town. The driver was illegally working in an off limits area and his horse was grazed by a bus. We learned that the bus driver was suspended but nothing happened to the carriage driver. More than 1,000 of you signed the petition/letter at Change.org and we thank you for that. We have been pressuring the Department of Consumer Protection to take action about this illegal activity. After all -- what good are laws if they are not obeyed and not enforced. Check out the story in the Gothamist.
To show you how little the agencies work together, the ASPCA vet told us back in November that she checked on the horse and carriage and both were OK. But she did not issue a violation to the driver and she apparently did not report it to the Department of Consumer Affairs. WHY? Very recently, the DCA told me they are trying to find out who the driver is and I said "check with the ASPCA's vet -- she knows."
So things move very slowly in Gotham. They try to wait us out to see if we give up. We don't.
IF YOU SHOP ONLINE -- YOU CAN HELP THE HORSES
Through a free registration with iGive, when you buy merchandise on line, your purchase will help us. There are over 700 stores that include such popular ones as Amazon.com, Staples, Best Buy and Barnes & Nobles. Even Cafe Press is available if you purchase some of our merchandise. Click here to get started.
JOIN US ON FACE BOOK & SIGN ONLINE PETITION
See our Facebook page called No Walk in the Park. And while you are there, please join another anti carriage horse page by a colleague called 212HorsePower
"Never doubt that a small group of
thoughtful, committed citizens can change the
world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever
has." Margaret Mead.
