NYS SENATOR TONY AVELLA INTRODUCES BILL TO BAN HORSE-DRAWN CARRIAGES IN NYC
will formally announce at press conference on June 4th
New York State Senator Tony Avella recently introduced a new bill to ban horse-drawn carriages in New York City. This bill amends the NYC Administrative Code and is essentially the same as the historic bill, then-Council Member Avella introduced into the City Council in 2007. While the public and many tourists wanted to see that bill passed into law, it did not go anywhere largely due to our Mayor and Council leadership, which backs the small but politically connected carriage industry. The bill already has a sponsor in the Assembly - Assembly member Linda Rosenthal.
Please join the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages and other horse advocates for a press conference on Horses Without Carriages International Day:
- WHEN: Saturday June 4th at 12:00 Noon
- WHERE: north/east side of Central Park South and Fifth Avenue
- WHO: Tony Avella, Linda Rosenthal + others
PLEASE block out this time to come out and stand in solidarity with Tony, Linda and other activists for the horses. We need to show our legislators the strong support there is for this issue.
The bill is known as S5013 -- PROHIBITS THE OPERATION OF HORSE DRAWN CABS IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK. This is a link to the Senate web site so you can read it for yourself. Click Here. Please contact your State Senator to ask that they sign on to this bill. There is yet no number for the Assembly version but I will let you know (through this newsletter) as soon as there is.
picture: then Council Member Avella at one of our tabling events.
WE NEED A VIDEOGRAPHER
for June 4th event
If you are an experienced and very reliable videographer and would like to donate your services on June 4th, we need someone to videotape the entire press conference - sound and images - and be able to download it to an accessible site. Your time commitment would be approximately 11:30 to 1:00. If you can help us, please contact Elizabeth at coalition@banhdc.org.
HORSES WITHOUT CARRIAGES INTERNATIONAL
Saturday, June 4, 2011 -- Save the Date
Twice a year - the first Saturday in June and the first Saturday in December - we stand in solidarity with activists in other countries for the horses. This year we have something big to celebrate -- a new bill to ban horse-drawn carriages - this time from the New York State legislature. PLEASE COME OUT AND SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR THE HORSES!!!!!!
In 2008, we started Horses Without Carriages International. This global coalition is made up of activists from many cities in the US, Canada, South America, Europe, the Mid East and South East Asia whose common goal is to expose the injustice, cruelty, and inhumanity in the horse-drawn carriage tourism trade. So far, we know that there will be rallies on June 4th in NYC, Chicago, Rome, Vienna, Dublin and Gili Islands. Photo: from past event in Tel Aviv.
CONFERENCE INCLUDES PANEL ON HORSE ISSUES
June 25th and June 26th
The Anti Fur Society will hold their first ever conference on June 25th and 26th. It promises to be very interesting and a lot of fun. It takes place in Alexandria, Virginia, which is very close to Washington, DC.
- Check out the Program
- Check out the Speakers
- Register - Registration is FREE. If you choose, you can pay $40 for the vegan reception on Saturday night.
I will be on a panel about Horses called Horse exploitation: The Great Betrayal, speaking about the carriage horse issue. Speakers include:
- John Holland / Equine Welfare Alliance - horse slaughter
- Laura Allen / Animal Law Coalition - wild mustang issue
- Stuart Chaifetz / Shark - horses in rodeos
- Elizabeth Forel / Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages - carriage horses
- Allen, Forel, Holland -- Political Activism for Horses
- Azar/Mercado - The Horses of San Barnabe
Other panels sound very engaging and include discussions on fur bearing animals, empowering the grass roots animal rights movement; companion animals; and art & media to raise AR awareness. I hope to see you there. We have several people going from NYC - if you want to join us, let me know.
WEAR ONE OF OUR T-SHIRTS TO THE RALLY
Carriage Horses: We have updated our stores on Cafe Press and have much to offer for the warm weather -- t-shirts,caps, totes - also mouse pads, mugs and other things. We have three stores:
As always, if you want our buttons, you will have to order directly from us. Click Here.
FOR LAUGHS
in the OMG category
Carriage drivers recently came to NYC and did their own protest. Fine - they are entitled to do that. And we are entitled to critique their posters. We are opposed to any horse or other animal pulling carriages. It is not OK just because they might be a draft horse. In NYC, about half of the horses on the streets are standardbreds. They are smaller than drafts. Some are actually quite petite and it is heart breaking to see them pull carriages.
It is ironic that this group wants you to think that the carriage trade in NYC only uses draft horses. A draft horse can weigh about 2,000 pounds. Big Teddy in Massachusetts Central New England Equine Rescue weighs more than that. If a draft horse gets spooked and bolts, watch out for your life. When a horse is terrified, he will run over anything to get away from the source of fear.
TONY THE TIGER - CAMPAIGN FINALLY WON (hopefully)
a long well fought campaign finally coming to an end
HOW LONG SHOULD YOU TRY? UNTIL." An inspirational quote by Jim Rohn found on the Free Tony the Tiger blog. This is just one example of a very long and well fought campaign that has finally resulted in success. Real campaigns must be multifaceted and are so much more than just demos.
Tony the Tiger is a Bengal tiger who has been kept in a small inhumane cage at a road side truck stop in Louisiana since 2003 - as a display. Can you imagine -- a Louisiana truck stop - it's a metaphor for hopelessness and despair.
Tony's captivity has captured the attention of good people everywhere, including, most recently, actor Leonardo DiCaprio. One of the best web sites on the issue is Free Tony the Tiger by Dee DiSantis, who has tirelessly advocated to free Tony. Big Cat Rescue in Florida has also been involved in trying to get Tony.
The Animal Legal Defense Fund recently won a victory for Tony in court when on May 6th Judge R. Michael Caldwell granted a permanent injunction that blocks the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries from issuing a new permit to Tony's owner Michael Sandli. This technically means at the end of the year, but the ALDF is trying to get them to revoke the permit immediately. Read more about it here. Photo of Tony from Free Tony the Tiger.
LOVE HORSES - AWED BY THEM? - GREAT LINK
from Best Friends
Read Best Friend's online magazine celebrating horses for Horse Week. Horse week was in April - but who cares. Horses are still great!!
Horses are sensitive, sentient beings and are so very much more than "work" horses required to pull tourists around for their amusement. Photo: from Best Friends
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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.
