July's Charity of the Month is... Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages, NYC

July's Charity of the Month is...

Nominated by Veronica of ScrappyRat

written by BHDC

The Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages, NYC was formed in 2006 in response to a tragic accident that killed a young carriage horse named Spotty. Having personally been involved with this issue since the early 1990s the President of BHDC, Elizabeth Forel, knew the only ethical and moral decision was to shut the industry down in NYC, which has been their campaign since that time. 

Elizabeth shares: "For years, we had tried to get better regulations of the industry to no avail – so we knew that if we were going to work on this issue, it would be for a ban – nothing else. We set about lobbying and educating the City Council and public – even animal activists -  since this had not been a public issue for about ten years."

In 2007, then Council Member Tony Avella introduced a bill to ban the industry in NYC. While it got some support in the Council , it did not get the support of then Council Speaker Quinn and Mayor Bloomberg. But many people started to pay attention.

NYC's new mayor, Bill deBlasio, came into office in January 2014. He made a campaign promise to ban the industry but so far nothing has been done. He has said that legislation will be introduced by the end of the year. We are waiting patiently and continue fighting this fight. It has been particularly difficult for us to get the word out locally because the media - led by the NY Daily News - has taken a position on the side of the carriage trade. 

The industry is inherently inhumane. The horses live in multi storied stables in stalls that are less than half of what experts recommend. They have no access to pasture. They are legally allowed to work nine hours a day, seven days a week - in the congested traffic of NYC - in very hot and cold weather.

As prey animals, horses are predictably unpredictable and can spook at the slightest provocation. At 1500 to 2000 pounds, they become unwitting weapons who can injure or kill themselves or passersby. We continue to get our message out through advertising, articles and social media.

We launched an advertising campaign - starting about a year ago advertising in neighborhood papers in all the boroughs. Last December we did "bus tail" ads - these are the ads on the back of the City buses. We are currently working on a subway poster ad, which we hope to release in the fall. Our goal is to reach New Yorkers and politicians about this issue - inviting them to find out the truth. 

The Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages is an entirely volunteer, grass roots  organization. No salaries are paid and all donations received go toward educational materials such as printing costs for flyers and reports, advertising, posters, our weekly newsletter Horse Sense and our web site. 

Our ongoing campaign is to publicize the plight of NYC carriage horses and to promote legislation to ban this industry. Please take a moment to sign our petition !

Our  volunteers consist of people from all walks of life. Some have a background in animal activism; for others, it was the first time they got involved with animal issues. But what we all have in common is compassion for the carriage horses and the hope that this cruel  industry will come to an end. 

Our advisors consist of a number of horse experts, rescuers, equine veterinarians and equine welfare orgnaizations. For security reasons and for their protection, we do not list their names. 

The Coalition is a standing committee of The Coalition for NYC Animals, Inc., which was incorporated in 1995 as a 501-c-(4). This is currently the only issue in which we are involved. Because we are incorporated as a 501 (c) 4, we can work to influence legislation and elections.

COALITION TO BAN 

HORSE-DRAWN CARRiAGES, NYC

ViSiT Website

LiKE Fb page
SiGN THE PETITION

CHECK OUT Youtube channel 

FOLLOW Twitter

MAKE A Donation 

SHOP TEAM EFA

PURCHASE A TEAM EFA

PRODUCT THAT BENEFITS

BHDC this month

THANK YOU !