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8 / 19 - May 26, 2014
 
 

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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 AND COLLEAGUES - CLICK HERE to get your own newsletter. ** We remember Ceasar ** ASPCA op-ed ** Blinders screening ** we continue to advertise ** sign our petition & write to the mayor ** Redemption - NYC premier

LOOK BACK AT PREVIOUS NEWSLETTERS - in our archives. Click Here. CALLING ALL INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISTS AFTER THE TRUTH: Assignment: : who/what is behind the crusade by the Daily News to distort this issue and derail deBlasio?

MEMORIAL DAY -- WE REMEMBER CEASAR
gone but never forgotten
Ceasar was an ailing 22 year old NYC carriage horse with heaves who should have been living out the rest of his life retired in a sanctuary. Instead, his owner, Frank Luo, altered the 4-digit ID number on his hoof to that of a much younger horse so he could work him in NYC. This came to the attention of the Department of Health, which started an investigation. At that point, according to Luo's lawyer, he sold the horse to Norman Martin, horse dealer/trainer in Pennsylvania. According to a NY Post article, he is no longer there. Martin would have no use for a sick horse like Ceasar so unless he miraculously appears, we believe he was sold at auction and probably bought by one of the many kill buyers to fulfill his horse meat order for the Canadian slaughter houses. Utterly despicable!

We do not believe Ceasar will ever be found - but we hope to be wrong. His 4-digit hoof number was most likely sanded off and there is no other way to identify him.

A word about his name: We can trace Ceasar back to 2005 from Department of Health lists. When his owner originally registered him, we assume he misspelled the name - using "Ceasar" rather than "Caesar" the generally accepted spelling. But the Associated Press, which first broke the story and other news media spell it the way it was registered, as they should. Yet the carriage trolls like to tell us that we are "ignorant" and misspell his name - something they originally did. This is the depth of arguments we face.

All pictures of Ceasar working in NYC are by Mary Culpepper.

WHAT ABOUT THAT HIGH TURNOVER OF 71 HORSES A YEAR
the media has no interest in reporting this fact
In mid 2013, I released a study, which revealed a turnover of 529 horses over a period of 7 1/2 years in the NYC carriage trade. This averages out to 71 horses a year. Outrageous numbers. To be clear, I have never said that all of these horses go on to the kill auctions. We simply do not know because the horses are untraceable - just like Ceasar. Some (the favorites) are retired to pasture. But the sad truth is that the Department of Health does not require sales records for horses sold outside of NYC as most are. The owners, who are behind this kind of deceptive legislation know that this would be deadly information in our hands because we would know who launders the horses.

This is a link to an article I wrote for One Green Planet last year -- 5/31/13 - It is still very relevant - nothing has been resolved. Where do all the NYC Carriage Horses go?

With one exception, the media did not pick up this story. Why? I think we have see that the editorial boards of the Daily News, NY Post and the NY Post want to perpetuate the myth of the much loved carriage horses. Ourtown/West Side Spirit - when it was owned by Tom Allon did print this story -- 5/23/13 - Where Have All the Carriage Horses Gone?

IT'S TIME TO RETIRE THE CARRIAGE HORSES
op-ed by ASPCA president Matt Bershadker
NY Daily News - 5/21/14 -It's Time to Retire the Carriage Horses - The New York City horse-carriage debate is not doing these animals justice. The dialogue has been continuously contaminated by inaccuracies, exaggerations, presumptions, and worse-case scenarios masquerading as inevitabilities. Typically, it's the media's job to separate fact from fiction, but, sadly, few outlets in New York City have lived up to that critical responsibility. Many carriage-horse industry supporters - and let's keep in mind this issue is about industry survival more so than equine survival - want you to believe carriage horses face a bleaker future if unleashed from their urban servitude than if they remain on the streets as tourist vehicles. Yes, horse care is very expensive. But does this automatically mean horses will not be well cared-for in a post-carriage horse New York City? Hardly.

As we in the animal welfare community have made clear, there are many rescue organizations and shelters ready, willing and able to find homes for these horses if their current owners allow it. Should this industry come to an end, the ASPCA will gladly get involved - including tapping into our network of rescue partners and resources - to help with any potential transition and to find and facilitate humane placement options for any horse then in need of a home. Carriage operators sometimes claim that once their horses are retired, they simply ride into idyllic futures. But the fact that Frank Luo - the driver accused of tampering with identification numbers to make his breathing-impaired 22-year-old draft horse Ceasar appear to be a healthier and much younger horse - sold the animal to a Pennsylvania farmer demonstrates that a carriage horse's future is no more secure than that of any other owned horse.

While some carriage horse owners show lasting dedication to their horses, the truth is there's nothing to stop owners from effectively selling off their animals like obsolete equipment. When the ASPCA - the oldest animal welfare organization in the country - says that it's stepping in to help, we mean it. The ASPCA has protected horses since our founding, and we continue to this day - including fights against horse slaughter, the use of performance-enhancing drugs for race horses and cruel practices and training for show horses. In 2013, we awarded approximately $1.4 million in grants to support equine rescues and sanctuaries in 43 states and the District of Columbia. And the ASPCA Equine Fund has existed since 1996 to provide grants to non-profit, U.S. equine welfare organizations that work to rescue and protect horses.

Our position on carriage horses has always been clear. The industry as it exists in New York City is unnatural, unnecessary and places an unacceptable strain on the horse's quality of life - especially given increasing levels of traffic. There are simply more humane ways to entertain tourists in our city. And it is our city, too. New York City is where our national offices are located, as well as the ASPCA Animal Hospital, the ASPCA Adoption Center and the ASPCA Spay-Neuter Clinic. It's also the home of the largest and most effective animal cruelty law enforcement agency in the world - the NYPD. What happens to New York City animals matters to us. And the truth means just as much. Bershadker is the president and CEO of the ASPCA.

BLINDERS: THE TRUTH BEHIND THE TRADITION
screening in NYC on Friday May 30th
blinders logo Back by popular demand -- don't miss it! Please join us for a screening of Blinders - the award winning 2008 documentary by film maker Donny Moss that told the truth about this abusive and exploitative business. The guest speaker is Kathy Stevens, founder of Catskill Animal Sanctuary. Brian Gari, singer, songwriter and author will give a live performance of his iconic song "Horse of a Different Color." Donny Moss, director and creator of Blinders and Elizabeth Forel, president of the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages will also be on hand to answer questions and help bring the issue up to date.
  1. WHEN: May 30, 2014 - 7:00 to 10:00 pm
  2. WHERE: Hunter College - 68th St. and Lexington Ave. - West Cafe in West Building - 3rd floor
  3. There is no charge for this event but ID is required for admittance - Please remember to bring ID, campus police will not let you into the screening without first registering your name with them at the front desk.
  4. Complimentary vegan refreshments will be served, sponsored by Hunter College's PAL Paths to Animal Liberation.

This is an Animals' Battalion event. They reserve the right to refuse admission to, or eject anyone disruptive to the screening. Furthermore, such behavior will result in IMMEDIATE ARREST by the Hunter College campus police.

WE ARE ADVERTISING IN METRO
please donate what you can for our advertising campaign
We will continue to run ads in Metro as long as we can. This week our ad appears on Wednesday. you may donate here. Please remember we are all volunteer and do not take salaries. Every penny you donate is put back into the organization. We are the organization that began the "ban" campaign in 2006 and we plan to continue our ad campaign until this inhumane, unsafe and abusive trade is stopped. We are hoping Mayor deBlasio takes positive action soon.

Thanks to all of you who have donated to our campaign. It is much appreciated. This is from a new series Enough is Enough.

CONTACT THE MAYOR THROUGH THE INTERNET
tell him you want a ban not a phase out
For the last 9 months, there has been an onslaught by the media against the proposed carriage horse ban. The media has presented the issue from the carriage drivers' point of view. From Fox News to CNN and Channel 11 in NYC -- the Daily News, Post and NY Times. Even AM-NY. They have all lied with no shame.

Contact Mayor deBlasio - tell him that you want a ban of horse-drawn carriages THIS YEAR. If he delays it for three years or if there is another accident, it will hurt him politically. Tell him that you voted for him because he promised to ban the trade - and even on the first day he took office, which we knew was an impossibility. Now he has put a time frame on it until the end of the year. . Click Here. Please be respectful.

REDEMPTION, THE NO KILL REVOLUTION IN AMERICA
NYC premier -- this is a must see event
Join Nathan Winograd of the No Kill Advocacy Center as he tours the nation, screening his new film "Redemption -The No Kill Revolution in America," a story of betrayal, hope and compassion. Don't miss the opportunity to see this ground-breaking documentary and meet the filmmaker, Nathan Winograd, who is helping to change the course of history for homeless pets. The NYC screening will be followed by a Q&A, a book-signing, and a reception featuring wine and vegan hors d'oeuvres.
  • WHEN: Wednesday July 16th - 7:00 to 10:00 pm
  • WHERE: AMC Lowe's Village 7 - 66 Third Ave. (near Union Square)
  • BUY TICKETS NOW: CLICK HERE

Facebook Page - Click Here.

SIGN OUR PETITION TO BAN HORSE-DRAWN CARRIAGES IN NYC
to Mayor and City Council
If you have not already signed this important petition, please do so now. And please share with others. We want Mayor deBlasio to keep his campaign promise and shut down this inhumane and unsafe carriage trade. We do not want a 3-year phase out because it will not work. So please click here to sign the petition and please share it with your friends and colleagues.

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
igive 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.

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.