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 AND COLLEAGUES ** in this issue - deBlasio wins mayoral election in a landslide *Dec. 7th - Animals Matter press conference * iGive - support us * New blog - will there be a ban of hdcs? * Demo - Saturday 11/16
BILL DEBLASIO WINS MAYORAL ELECTION IN LANDSLIDE
73% margin of victory!
I expect that most of you know by now that Bill deBlasio won the NYC mayoral election with a huge margin - 73% over Joe Lhota. The election night party in Brooklyn was wall to wall people. This is probably the first time ever that we have such a progressive, forward thinking person coming into office - and one who has made humane issues for animals a priority.
The deBlasio campaign hit the ground running the day after the election, putting out e-mails asking for suggestions and comments. This is a link - Click here.
Please take the opportunity to add your two cents to IDEAS - asking for a ban on horse-drawn carriages as soon as logistically possible. deBlasio still talks about the nonexistent "vintage" electric cars. This is bad. If the ban has to depend on the success of a nonexistent new industry, it will never happen. We voted for deBlasio because he promised a ban - not because of electric cars.
NEWS ALERT: SAVE THIS DATE - DECEMBER 7, 2013
Animals Matter press press conference on Steps of City Hall - NYC
The Compassion for Animals coalition is a new ad hoc group, formed to present a blue print of our animals issue agenda to Mayor Elect deBlasio. We are developing a website to be used for resource material on these issues. Please come to a press conference:
- WHEN: Saturday December 7th - 11:00am-12 noon
- WHERE: Steps of City Hall - NYC
- WHAT: to present these issues to our new mayor:
- -- ban horse-drawn carriages
- -- ban the sale of animals in pet stores
- -- stop the slaughter of Canada geese
- -- ban the use of animals in circuses
- -- enforce animal cruelty laws
Please see our new Facebook page Animals Matter nyc - and the Event page. Please come to the event and please share this page with others. This is an historic time for NYC. It is the first time ever we have had a mayor who was sympathetic to animal issues.
MISINFORMATION IS ALIVE AND WELL IN THE BIG APPLE
Please question everything you read from both sides.
- The Daily News put out a series of fear mongering articles before the election claiming that all the carriage horses will go to slaughter if there is a ban. This was prompted by the carriage driver/owners who were engaging in emotional blackmail - thinking this would be a good way to put a stop to the ban talk. It did not work. Many of us said -- If the horses go to auction and then slaughter - it will be the driver/owners who bring them there. The horses do not go on their own. Vickery Eckoff hopefully nipped it in the bud with her excellent piece in Forbes -
- Not to be left out, Care-2 - not in NYC - sent out a fear mongering petition asking people to petition the City of New York not to send the horses to slaughter. They have since retracted it but they still got information wrong. In their new attempt to insert themselves into the workings of NYC, this is what they said: - The legislation, Intro86A, which mandates a phase out of the carriage of the horses and specifically requires the carriage drivers to turn over their horse to an approved retirement home. We did not intentionally publish false information, but we did rely on several reliable publications, who themselves were in error. Thank you for all that you do to make a difference.
What they said is not true.
I helped to draft the Disposition section of the proposed legislation. It was inserted into Intro 658 (Avella's original bill) 86, 92 and the Avella/Rosenthal state bills. It absolutely does not "specifically require that carriage drivers turn over their horses to an approved retirement home. " I reached out to Care-2 but they have ignored me. NY Class has been putting out information saying that the horses will be turned over to them to find homes. NOT TRUE. It is solely up to the owners to find homes for their horses - and asking NY Class, the ASPCA or any other organization or person for help is certainly an option. But no one is SEIZING the horses as the carriage drivers like to claim because of the misinformation put out by NY Class -- so Care-2 is simply and ignorantly exacerbating the situation. This is a link to the state bill. Look at Section 17-329 - Disposition of Licensed Horse. Text in brackets is removed; in CAPS is new.
WILL HORSE-DRAWN CARRIAGES REALLY BE BANNED IN NYC
New blog by Elizabeth Forel
Please take the time to read this blog and become informed about the details of this issue.
Will deBlasio really ban the horse-drawn carriages and how will it be done? Read about the non existent "vintage electric cars" that have been talked about for years as if they were a reality. Read why they will not and should not happen if we really want the inhumane and abusive carriage trade shut down. Do we want to still be talking about this five years from now? I don't!
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR IN THE DAILY NEWS
A sampling of letters against the carriage trade
- 11/10/13 He, not 'it' Woodside: Voicer Sharon Bizzotto is taking her cues directly from the carriage drivers' playbook. The Coalition to Ban Horse Drawn Carriages rescued former NYC carriage horse Bobby II from the New Holland kill auction in 2010, and now he is now living the good life, along with his herd, at Equine Advocates Sanctuary in Chatham, N.Y. He will never again see the mean streets of NYC, where he was treated as an "it." Saying that no driver has been cited for abuse in 30 years is like saying that someone is a good person because he never beat his wife. There are plenty of violations for overloading carriages, drunk driving, reckless driving, leaving horses unattended and more. Marie Richardson
- 11/8/13 Policy, shmolicy Astoria: Voicer Eva Hughes says the carriage industry has a no-slaughter policy. Policy is not law, Eva. There is no legal oversight of the horses that stable owners sell outside of New York, which is why more than 500 horses that passed through the streets of the city in recent years are unaccounted for. She asks why the sanctuaries offering to adopt carriage horses aren't currently rescuing horses at auctions. They are, Eva. They are using our donations to rescue as many horses as they can. Some have rescued hundreds at a time. The carriage industry could certainly lighten their load by saving all of its own horses. Susan Davis
- 11/6/13 End of the road for carriages Farmingdale, L.I.: The carriage horse drivers have begun their untruthful propaganda because they are well aware that their jobs are in jeopardy. The time is long overdue for this cruel industry to come to an end. The City of New York is indebted to these overworked, abused horses. It is time to repay them with a dignified retirement. New York City mayors have long ignored the cruelty these horses have had to endure to increase tourism. The newly elected mayor should honor his pledge to put an end to the carriage horse industry. Dorothy Arenella
NEXT DEMO - SATURDAY NOVEMBER 16, 2013
Speak out for the horses.
Please join the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages and activists as we educate tourists not to take the inhumane carriage rides.
- WHEN: Saturday, Nov. 16 - 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
- WHERE: north/west corner - Central Park South and Fifth Ave. at the hack line
iGIVE - SIGN UP AND HELP THE COALITION TO BAN HORSE-DRAWN CARRIAGES
sign up and purchase something by November 12th
Please help our organization by making a purchase on line through iGive. The official name of our organization is The Coalition for New York City Animals, Inc. We are a 501 (c) 4. The Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages is an official standing committee of this organization.
Do you make purchases on line? I do and I always go through iGive to make my purchases - assuring that our organization can get a percentage of the sales. Please consider doing the same. You can set up a tool bar on your browser to make it very easy.
This is from iGive:
Each person who joins and makes at least one purchase between October 18, 2013 and November 12, 2013 earns The Coalition for NYC Animals, Inc. an extra $5. That's in addition to the normal donation amount. It's a great time to ask folks to help your group, simply by shopping.
Three important details -
1. Over 1,350 stores participating. Purchases at Amazon count for a donation,
but not towards the new member bonus.
2. New iGive members only (never joined before).
3. They must use your special link we've provided below to join. And they must use iGive to
visit the store (the Button, the iPhone / iPad apps, or links on our site). Returns don't count.
Ends 11/12/13.
This is the special link to sign up:
http://www.iGive.com/welcome/warmwelcome.cfm?c=45075&m=771835
PLEASE JOIN US ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS
Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Google Blog & Flickr
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 iGive - 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.
