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HORSE SENSE
Periodic updates about issues and actions concerning New York City's Carriage Horses +
Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages
www.banhdc.org
Horses Without Carriages International
www.horseswithoutcarriages.org
PLEASE FORWARD TO FRIENDS & COLLEAGUES: In this issue - Horse breaks leg on Valentine's Day ** Anjelica Huston speaks out against HDCs ** Lobby Day May 1st ** Support this state bill **
2/14/12 ANOTHER NYC CARRIAGE HORSE TRAGEDY
Valentine's Day -- Horse breaks his leg! City tries to hide it.
The Department of Consumer Affairs has confirmed a report from an eye witness - that a tragic incident happened within Central Park on Valentine's Day, February 14, 2012. One of the carriage horses who was pulling a carriage within the park fell and broke his leg. Yes you heard correctly! Broke his leg!!! The ASPCA was present. We hear that the horse was then shipped to a "farm" in New Jersey or was it upstate New York? Highly doubtful. A broken leg is a death sentence for a carriage horse. He probably got a bullet through the head. These horses are expendable. Was this horse just so much collateral damage; should he even have been pulling a carriage that day?
ASPCA COMPLICIT? The ASPCA's Humane Law Enforcement Division does the job of a police department. Yet - unlike the NYPD, they are not subject to the Freedom of Information Law to assure transparency in government. They act with impunity doing whatever they choose to do under the guise of being "volunteer." I have asked them to produce a list of carriage horse incidents/accidents but they ignore me. Yet, if they were to reveal what they know about the carriage business in NYC, they could bring the industry down. Are they just fund raising off this Humane Law gig?
This is a list of the accidents we know about that have occurred since July of 2011. Random eye witnesses were responsible for providing information on all of them.
- July 16, 2011 - carriage horse spooked and bolted, galloping from Grand Army Plaza/Fifth Avenue - up Central Park South to 7th Avenue, hitting a taxi and car on the way
- End of July, 1011 - Horse spooks and falls while pulling tourists in Central Park
- July 25, 2011 - taxi crashes into flimsy carriage, causing serious injuries to driver and passengers
- October 23, 2011 - Charlie, NYC carriage horse, collapses and dies on W. 54th St. on his way to work. The cause of his death is still unexplained.
- October 28, 2011 - unnamed horse spooks on Central Park South and runs into the traffic, eventually crashing and falling in the park. He is no longer in the industry.
- November 4, 2011 - Luke, NYC carriage horse, collapses on W. 60th St. He is down for 15 minutes
- December 4, 2011 - horse named Charlie collapsed on W. 59th St. He was painfully pulled up by his bit. He is no longer in the industry.
- February 14, 2012 - horse falls in Central Park and breaks his leg. He is no longer in the industry.
- March 3, 2012 - unnamed horse spooks on 11th Avenue 52nd St., dragging his empty, overturned carriage into the street.
Please write to NYC's mayor and to NYC & Company, the official tourist agency. it is important for them to know how people feel. Mailed snail mail letters are preferred. Mention all of the accidents and ask for the City to do an investigation.
- Mayor Michael Bloomberg; City Hall, New York, NY 10007
- Contact the mayor through the internet - click here
- George Fertitta, CEO of NYC & Company; 810 Seventh Ave., 3 fl; New York, NY 10019
- e-mail - gfertitta@nycgo.com
ARAN - ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTION NETWORK IN IRELAND
St. Patrick's Day surprise
John Carmody, heads up a very successful animal rights group in Ireland - ARAN - Animal Rights Action Network. So it was a very nice surprise when he called me on St. Patrick's Day to wish me a Happy St. Paddy's Day and to wish our campaign to end the inhumane carriage horse business the best. He said they are 200% behind us. ARAN must be doing something right because they get loads of press on animal issues.
Our campaign to ban the horse-drawn carriage trade in NYC has the support - not only of New Yorkers - but people around the country and world. It is only a matter of time and we must keep the faith.
LOBBY DAY IN ALBANY - MAY 1ST
It's getting closer - please buy your ticket
We hope you will join us for Lobby Day in Albany on May 1st to support the Avella/Rosenthal bill to ban horse-drawn carriages in NYC. Please do not worry about your knowledge of the issue. You will be part of a team and I promise you - if you choose - you will not have to say anything more than your name -- and maybe not even that. We need bodies -- people who care about the issue. So please, please sign up. Click here to sign up for the League of Humane Voters bus. It is only $20 round trip.
If you are planning to attend Lobby Day -- whether or not you are going by the LoHV bus, please send me an e-mail at coalition@banhdc.org with this information so we can coordinate with you.
- Name
- Address
- NYS Assemblymember
- NYS Senator
- e-mail address
- cell phone
PLEASE SUPPORT BILL # S5013 and A7748
ban horse-drawn carriages in NYC & save the horses
If you have not already signed the petition on Change.org to support this bill, please click here. This is the link to the bill. Wow!! We have almost 119,000 signatures in support of the Avella/Rosenthal bill.
OUR FUND RAISER - MONDAY APRIL 23RD
please buy your early bird ticket now!!
Please come to our fund raiser on Monday night, April 23rd. It promises to be a great time. Click here for more information and our invitation. You may buy "tickets" through our web site - Paypal or check.
ANJELICA HUSTON SPEAKS OUT AGAINST HORSE-DRAWN CARRIAGES
interview on CNN by Rosie O'Donnell
Anjelica Huston, who is currently starring in the new TV show SMASH, speaks out against the NYC carriage trade. In a recent interview, Huston says "I am taking a stand against the carriage horses in Central Park, which I am very opposed to ." She is interviewed by Rosie O'Donnel who guest hosts on Piers Morgan Tonight on CNN. Rosie comments "It does seem absurdly cruel, truthfully." Click here for the interview.
HELP OUR ORGANIZATION BY SHOPPING ON LINE
Also check out Cafe Press to purchase CBHDC merchandise
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 & Noble. Even Cafe Press is available if you purchase some of our merchandise. Click here to get started.
On I-Give - the name of our organization is "The Coalition for NYC Animals, Inc. ." We also have three stores on Cafe Press with great t-shirts, bags, hats, mugs, mouse pads, etc. . Purchasing this merchandise helps our organization. Click here.
"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.
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Thank you for caring about the horses,
Elizabeth Forel - Coalition to Ban
Horse-Drawn Carriages - a standing committee
of The Coalition for New York City Animals,
Inc.
Please DONATE
to our campaign to ban
the inhumane and unsafe carriage horse industry.
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