NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - Apr 7, 2015) - Horses don't belong in congested city traffic, and forcing them to pull carriages in New York City is cruel and barbaric, says animal rights nonprofit organization Last Chance for Animals (LCA). To bring this point to politicians, LCA placed a subway panel ad Monday where council members can't miss it: on Broadway between the council offices and City Hall.
The panel (a billboard mounted atop a subway entrance) shows a photo of a carriage horse collapsed in the road, along with the Mahatma Gandhi quote, "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated."
A collaboration between LCA and New-York-based animal rights group NYClass, the action is in support of a bill (Int 0573-2014) introduced by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio last December to ban horse-drawn carriages in the city by mid-2016.
"Horse-drawn carriages are outdated and cause immense suffering to the animals," said Last Chance for Animals Campaigns Director Nina Hauptman. "With cruelty-free options like e-carriages available, there's no reason to force horses to labor on the noisy, congested streets of New York."
LCA cites miserable conditions for the animals, including long hours in temperatures ranging from sweltering hot to freezing cold. At least seven known in-service carriage horse deaths have been recorded by the Department of Health. Other problems include traffic-related injuries to both horses and people, as well as horses spooked by city buses and other sources of loud noise. Due to the overall lack of carriage industry accountability, horse cruelty often goes uncorrected.
Last Chance for Animals is an international animal advocacy organization that conducts undercover investigations and launches public awareness campaigns to expose animal cruelty. LCA's Sam Simon Investigation Unit travels the world to document abuse in research labs, puppy mills, factory farms and the entertainment industry. www.LCAnimal.org
