NYC Mayor still pursuing ban on horse-drawn carriage horses

Periodic updates about issues and actions concerning New York City’s Carriage Horses +

PLEASE FORWARD TO FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES – Judge orders NYPD to turn over carriage horse accident records ** NYC carriage driver charged with falsifying hoof number on horse’s hoof ** Horses do not belong in Central Park – would not work ** Op ed ** Sign our petition ** contact the mayor ** Our advertising ** Animals Angels investigation of Atlanta carriage horse trade – take action ** Mayor continues to be resolute on banning the carriage trade ** CLICK HERE to get your own newsletter.Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages www.banhdc.orgHorses Without Carriages International www.horseswithoutcarriages.org

LOOK BACK AT PREVIOUS NEWSLETTERS – Who are the players on the other side? 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?

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Judge orders NYPD to turn over records

 ALDF – 4/28/14 – Judge Orders NYPD to Provide Records on Carriage Horses to ALDF More great news for animals-in a hearing today, the New York Supreme Court sided with ALDF in an important case for New York’s carriage horses. Last fall, after being denied access to public records by the New York Police Department (NYPD) for over a year and a half, ALDF petitioned the New York Supreme Court to force NYPD to turn over public records regarding the horse-drawn carriage industry.In today’s hearing, Judge Shlomo Hagler agreed with ALDF regarding our right to public records under New York’s Freedom of Information Law (FOIL, which is similar to the federal Freedom of Information Act or FOIA), and reminded New York’s finest that transparency and an open government are values to be taken seriously. The judge was emphatic about the validity of ALDF’s concern about the treatment (and mistreatment) of horses in the carriage industry. NYPD was instructed to comply with the request in the broad terms it was written. In fact, the judge ordered the NYPD to produce the documents within 45 days. The court indicated that NYPD’s position-first that they had no records, then that they had records but couldn’t share them with us, and today that they had records and could share them but ALDF had phrased our request poorly-was questionable. NYPD argued that they had no records because a horse getting hit by a car didn’t pertain to horse safety and welfare, but only to the car’s injuries. Like ALDF, the judge disagreed. “If there was a phone call of abuse of a [carriage horse] then I believe it’s your duty to give that record over,” said Manhattan Supreme Justice Shlomo Hagler to the NYPD. For more information, read about ALDF’s call to shut down New York’s carriage-horse industry.

owner Frank Luo has history of questionable activiites

This is far from the first allegation for Luo, AP reports: Luo’s regulatory problems date to September, when he was cited for working at least two horses without active licenses. He also was accused of working Ceasar for nine days in July when the horse was supposedly in Pennsylvania. City regulations give the horses five weeks of pasture time each year. Also in September, the Department of Consumer Affairs cited Luo for false advertising, overcharging customers and operating a carriage for more hours than allowed. Luo’s company, the Manhattan Carriage Co., agreed in January to pay a fine and restitution. In an unrelated incident, a horse Luo was driving in September bolted on 8th Avenue and hit a car. It suffered minor injuries. The allegations come as pressure is mounting against the horse carriage industry in NYC, which animal advocates maintain is cruel and could easily be replaced by vintage electric cars. Mayor Bill de Blasio has said that a ban would go into effect by the end of this year.

THE DODO – 4/30/14 – NYC Carriage Driver Forces Unhealthy, Elderly Horse to Work. Just days after a very disturbing horse carriage accident grabbed headlines in New York City, news broke that a NYC carriage driver allegedly altered a hoof brand on his unhealthy 22-year-old draft horse — misidentifying him as a healthier horse nearly half its age. The details of the case were obtained a , Freedom of Information request filed by the Associated Press, which says: Frank Luo branded the wrong hoof identification number on an aging horse named Ceasar, who was supposed to be resting on a Pennsylvania farm, so he could work under a license issued to a 12-year-old horse named Carsen, city health officials said in an administrative order last month.According to officials, a city vet noticed in January that though the horse had Carsen’s ID number on his hoof, his “physical characteristics and medical condition was that of the older horse.” Even worse, Caesar, the older horse, suffered from a condition called “heaves,” which is similar to asthma. Luo denies the allegations. But when pressed for veterinary documents, Luo quickly shipped the horse to Pennsylvania and sold him, saying that he couldn’t afford to have the horse sitting idle. “I did not switch the horses. It’s just very confusing because they look alike,” he said.

op ed in the NY Daily News – May 2, 2014 by Elizabeth Forel

Park lovers would no longer have access to the Band shell and summer stage, Strawberry Fields, the Sheep Meadow, the Central Park Zoo, Heckscher Playground and its ball field, The Friedsam Carousel, Wollman Skating Rink or the duck pond, plus all the paths, park benches and picnic areas enjoyed by New Yorkers and tourists alike. All of this parkland would instead be turned over to a small, private industry. Obviously, people would not be allowed to walk through the grazing land. “Put the horses in the park” is a nice, simple slogan. But it’s a terrible idea that needs to be put to rest. Let’s move forward with Mayor Bill de Blasio’s promise to do nothing less than shut down this inhumane and unsafe business. The sooner the better.

No park for carriage horses – No, putting the horses in Central Park isn’t the answer “Put the carriage horses in Central Park.” Many New Yorkers – most recently the Teamsters – have offered this as the solution to the controversy over horse-drawn carriages here. But it will not work. Here’s why: -The horses don’t work exclusively within the park. The hack line, outside the park on Central Park South, has been the site of many accidents. In 2007, a horse named Smoothie spooked from a loud noise, ran into a tree and died. In October 2011, another horse on this same line spooked and bolted, running against traffic until he crashed into the park wall at Seventh Avenue. Horses on the line are exposed to horrific, noisy traffic at one of the busiest locations in our bustling city – a constant parade of tour buses, taxis and emergency vehicles. Horses on the line are exposed to horrific, noisy traffic at one of the busiest locations in our bustling city – a constant parade of tour buses, taxis and emergency vehicles. To add insult to injury, the horses would still have to travel through traffic to go back and forth to their stables located between Tenth and Twelfth Aves., from 37th to 52nd Sts., also the site of many accidents.– But the real deal-breaker is pasture. Horses love to graze, graze, graze, run, roll and hang out with their herd – and they love to do it every day. After all, they are very social animals. Turnout to pasture would have to be provided for the horses since it would be cruel to put them in the park with no access to the grass. Horses require a minimum of one acre of land per horse for turnout. With approximately 200 horses, that would be 200 acres of park pasture land devoted to turnout. The park is 778 acres and extends from 59th St. (Central Park South) to 110th St. and between Fifth Ave. and Central Park West – 51 blocks – or 15.25 acres per block. This means that to minimally accommodate 200 horses in the park, the Central Park Conservancy would have to turn over the land from 59th St. to 72nd St.

All illegal u-turn photos above by Mary Culpepper.

please donate what you can for our advertising campaign

We will continue to run ads in Metro as long as we can. 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.

tell him you want a ban not a phase out

For the last 8 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.

Highlights of American Equine Summit on 4/26 & 4/27

The third annual American Equine Summit was held at Equine Advocates Rescue and Sanctuary on April 26th and 27th. Some of the leading activists in banning horse slaughter in the US participated. This is a list of the presentations captured on video that are available to view. Click Here.The next day, Susan Wagner, president of Equine Advocates, Paula Bacon, former mayor of Crawford, Texas where she helped to shut down a horse slaughter plant, and John Holland, president of Equine Welfare Alliance, were interviewed about the slaughter issue on radio. Click here. To listen, click on the box with the white arrow next to the word “listen.”

Important – please share this – Take Action

Mat Thompson, Manager, Equine Health Georgia Department of Agriculture Equine DivisionAnimals Angels investigated the carriage horse trade in Atlanta, which revealed some not surprising findings. Click here for the report. Animals Angels reports: ” The investigation showed that carriages are often overloaded with passengers and horses are forced to work with rubbing harnesses, causing sores to develop, fester, and become infected. Multiple horses with bleeding, open wounds were documented. “This is the call to action. We ask that you please respond to our CALL FOR ACTION. Contact the Georgia Department of Agriculture Equine Division and the Department of Taxicabs and Vehicles for Hire demanding that they increase inspections and perform their enforcement duties. The horses deserve better. They certainly deserve no less.

• 19 Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr., S.W. Atlanta, Georgia 30334 Phone: (404) 656-3713 Fax: (404) 463-2128 Email: mark.thompson@agr.georgia.gov
• Cedric Burse, Manager of DTVH Charles Obierika, Supervisor of Carriage
• Division of Taxicabs and Vehicles for Hire 818 Pollard Blvd Sw Suite 241 Atlanta, Georgia 30315 Phone: (404) 546-3090

reiterates his support for a ban

CBS – 5/1/14 – NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio continues push to outlaw horse-drawn carriages Maybe deBlasio on Channel 2 once more reiterates his intention to ban horse-drawn carriages; says it is complicated but he is convinced it will happen.We are glad the Mayor has been resolute on the issue, but we wish he would move more quickly in getting this done.

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 pleaseclick here to sign the petition and please share it with your friends and colleagues.Parade of Misery by Mary Culpepper

Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Google Blog & Flickr

•  Twitter –Click Here to join us
• Facebook – No Walk in the Park
• Facebook – Horses Without Carriages International
• Check out Youtube channel. Click Here.
• Visit our photo gallery at Flickr
• Visit our blog – Carriage Horses NYC

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.