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.

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.

Friends of Animals, the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages and Equine Advocates intervened in June of 2010 to rescue Bobby, a former carriage horse whose owners had sent him to a killer buyer auction - the last stop before the slaughterhouse. "Bobby is now residing at the Equine Advocates Sanctuary; Bobby's happy ending is the exception, not the rule," Birnkrant said. Friends of Animals is urging support of Intro 86A, Council Member Melissa Mark Viverito's bill to replace horse-drawn carriages with eco-friendly antique touring cars, so that every horse is placed in a safe sanctuary once the industry is shut down.

Proponents of horse drawn carriages, including, of course, owners of the horses, claim those against the practice are radicals and liars. A horse rescue and working organic farm called Blue Star Equiculture disputes most every issue brought up on the website of those against using horses for carriage rides. They refer to carriage horses as qualified "urban working horses." And they argue that the rides give many people, who would otherwise never see a horse up close, a chance to enjoy their beauty. The Blue Star website states that carriage horses are treated with respect by the drivers and company owners and that by riding the carriages, people are actually contributing to their care and well-being, until they are retired gracefully.

Beyond these concerns, horse drawn carriages bring with them a whole set of practical problems that need to be considered. The pace of the carriages slows down traffic in the already-congested streets of our city, while animal waste that is often not picked up creates a public health and sanitation problem. And because of the array of stimuli -- noise, trucks, buses, and cabs -- bombarding the horses, they can sometimes react in unpredictable ways, causing crashes and injuries to the drivers and pedestrians in the area. Late last year a horse traveling up Seventh Avenue was grazed by a passing bus. Frightened out of its wits, the horse brought traffic to a standstill. And earlier last year, a spooked horse ran across Central Park South against the traffic and sideswiped several cars before crashing. There are better solutions out there. The City Council is currently considering legislation, Intro. 86, that would phase out horse drawn carriages while transitioning to electric cars that will provide a 21st century version of the traditional charming ride around Central Park. Passing this bill would enable the city to show a better face to the millions that pass through Central Park every year, while preserving a quintessential New York City experience and the jobs that come with it. And it is critical that if this legislation is passed we make sure that carriage drivers are trained to use the new electric so no jobs are lost. We should not wait for the next expos� on horses being mistreated, or the next crash that leaves a New Yorker injured or worse. It's time for New Yorkers to rally around a safer, more humane alternative to the horse and carriage.

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.

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.

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