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: ** Horse Runs wild ** Jane Velez-Mitchell new endeavor ** Telephone Tuesday call the City Council ** Bobby Goes Viral ** Horse runs amok in Montreal
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HORSE RUNS AMOK IN MANHATTAN
When is this nonsense going to stop???
Last Sunday, October 19th, a carriage horse named Barney got loose from the stable on W. 37th St. and ran down the street. Several blocks later he was corralled by the NYPD. While the media - true to form - mostly made light of it, NBC's Matt Lauer, whose daughter is involved with horses and has to know their capability, said "it could have ended badly." We will keep track of Barney. He is new to the industry and may not last. Donny Moss covered this in his blog. Click Here.
WHY THIS IS A PROBLEM: While reps from the carriage trade took the position that it was no big deal -- it was. The horse could have been injured or killed -- or he could have trampled someone and caused death or injury to a person. This is NYC and it is the 21st century. Horses do not belong on these streets. Luckily it was early in the morning and there were fewer cars on the street.
DON'T FORGET: TELEPHONE TUESDAY - October 28th
Please take a few minutes to call your Council Member
Telephone Tuesday is our new initiative to help you remember to make your call. On Tuesday (or any day) please take a few minutes to call your Council Member -- if you have not yet done so. Thanks to all of you who have made the calls -- particularly those who called from outside NYC. Thanks for caring so much.
Your participation is the only way to make a difference -- not standing on the side lines and expecting someone else to do it. If you do not make the small effort to call your Council Member, how do you expect they will know your views?
Ten months into the deBlasio administration and we are no closer to shutting down the inhumane and unsafe carriage trade than we were one year ago. Please contact your council member and ask him or her to support a bill to ban horse-drawn carriages. CALL THEM. Do not e-mail or fax. These methods of communication are more likely to be ignored.
- NYC RESIDENTS: www.council.nyc.gov -- Call your Council Member.
- OUTSIDE NYC: Call Speaker Melissa Mark Viverito's office. 212-828-9800
deleted. Calls have much more impact and a
Instructions
- http://www.council.nyc.gov/html/members/members.shtml
- Plug in your address to find out who your Council Member is.
- Look for the telephone number for the District Office.
- SUGGESTED SCRIPT - YOU: Good morning, my name is [your name] and I am a constituent. I live on [your address] I support an unconditional ban on horse-drawn carriages and I would like to know what [your Council Member's name] position is on this issue. You might also tell them it is a public safety issue and it is inhumane. If you live outside of NYC, call Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito's office and tell them were you live.
- COUNCIL OFFICE: the person who answers the phone may transfer you to someone else or suggest you call the Legislative Office or actually take the message.
- YOU: If they support a ban - thank them; If they are on the fence ask them why and if they would be open to receiving some links to articles. If they are against the ban - ask them why and if they would be open to receiving some links to articles.They might say that there a bill had not yet been introduced. Tell them that the Mayor has said a bill will be introduced soon and you want to know in general whether they would support a ban or not.
- IMPORTANT: If they say they would be willing to receive some information, ask them for the e-mail address of a specific person - maybe the Chief of Staff, maybe the Legislative Aide. Do not agree to send it to their office e-mail. You can say that you want to be sure someone receives it.
- Note: If the Council Office is not able to give you an answer, tell them that you will follow up in a week. Tell them this is a very important issue and you would like an answer. And follow up.
THESE ARE THE ARTICLE LINKS:
RESULT OF PHONE CALL: Please let us know what happened - e-mail us at coalition@banhdc.org
BOBBY II FREEDOM GOES VIRAL
In June of 2010, I learned about a NYC carriage horse who was at New Holland auctions. He was given one day before he was returned to the slaughter pens. I reached out to see who could take him and Susan Wagner/Equine Advocates stepped up. The rest is history. I always like to share this wonderful video showing Bobby when he came to the sanctuary for the first time. Bobby had actually gone straight to Susan's vet for a check-up. This video started to make the rounds again recently and has more than 143,000 hits. Click Here to view.
HOW TO REPORT ANIMAL CRUELTY TO 311
NYC: It remains a mystery just how the NYPD has taken over for the ASPCA to enforce anti cruelty laws and the carriage horse regulations, which means that the industry is out of control as usual. We continue to try to find out. But ten months later, we still do not have any answers.
If you see anything involving animals that you want to report -- and it is not an emergency - please go on line to 311. If it is about a carriage horse, please remember to get the license plate number on the back of the carriage and a description of the horse and if possible, the 4-digit engraved number on the left front hoof.
Please note that even if you report something directly to the NYPD, use this system as a a back up.
- DIRECTIONS:
- go to this link http://www1.nyc.gov/311/index.page
- Click on "Make a Complaint"
- Select: Get Help with - "Public Health and Safety"
- Specifically "Animal Abuse"
- Click on "Report the neglect or abuse of an animal."
- User Alert page comes up next
- Note: Dial 911 if an emergency response is required
- Click on "Start" at the bottom
- Follow the instructions and submit.
Print out a copy and take a reference number if available.
REMEMBERING CHARLIE - R.I.P. 10/23/11
3-year old op-ed -- polls were in our favor
Three years ago, on the morning of October 23, 2011, a carriage horse named Charlie collapsed and died on W. 54th St. He was on his way to Central Park. The media did not know about it. It could have easily been swept under the rug had it not been for Matthew Miller, a resident of W. 54th, who happened to look out his window to see the horse on the ground. He was shocked but had the presence of mind to take pictures; find us on the Internet and send them to me. I immediately contacted the media and the image of that dead horse went around the world. So tragic. Charlie was found to have an ulcer and a fractured tooth, both were ignored. He was new to the business. Nothing much happened and the industry continued. And here we are three years later.
Shortly after this horrible tragedy, I wrote an op-ed for the NYDaily News - the very paper that has engaged in an over-the-top campaign to keep the horses in NYC. The op-ed entitled The carriage horse industry is cruel, inhumane: This is no way to treat animals.It's time for a ban
Note what I say in the article: "Every similar poll in New York since 2006 has shown that at least 75% of respondents are in favor of abolishing this industry." The image is one of our ads showing Charlie. We will begin to run the ads again when the bill is introduced into the City Council.
JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL'S NEW VENTURE
This is Barney -- hot tailing it down the street in NYC
Jane Velez-Mitchell's show was canceled on HLN. But not one to be kept down, she has started something new. This is her first video featuring Donny Moss, filmmaker of Blinders - an expose of the NYC carriage trade. Click here.
QUEBEC CITY - NOT TO BE OUTDONE BY NYC
Horse runs amok
It must be in the air. Carriage horses are tired of being horse slaves/entertainment horses. A very similar incident happened in Montreal just the other day. A driver was not paying attention and his horse ran off. This is the article for those who speak French. Click Here.
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"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.
