New York.- Following the sudden, unexplained death of a carriage horse on its way to work in Central Park on Sunday morning, Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal (D/WF- Manhattan) demanded that an immediate investigation be launched to determine the circumstances surrounding and leading up to this tragedy. “A healthy horse, ready to drag a thousand or more pounds of carriage and passengers does not just drop dead on its way to work. A formal investigation must be conducted to determine what caused this poor animal’s death and how it was cleared for duty yesterday,” urged Assemblymember Rosenthal.
In addition, Rosenthal urged the ASPCA, the organization charged with overseeing the horses that work in New York’s carriage industry to release the findings of the necropsy upon its conclusion by Cornell. “The ASPCA plays an essential role in ensuring the health and safety of the horses engaged in the carriage industry. For the multitude of New Yorkers who are passionate about animals generally and the welfare of the carriage horses specifically, I urge the ASPCA to make the results of the necropsy swiftly available to the public. The public has placed trust in the ASPCA to ensure that the horses are safe, healthy and well-treated. Sharing the results of this investigation will help bolster that trust,” continued Rosenthal.
Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal has introduced legislation (A. 7748/S. 5013) with New York State Senator Tony Avella (D-Queens) that would ban the horse carriage industry and require the humane disposition of all horses currently used by the industry. Advocates from around the world have long demanded an end to a practice they call cruel, inhumane and unnecessary.
While some still view this archaic industry as “magical,” a spate a recent incidents involving horse carriages and motor vehicles resulting in serious injury to motorists and horses has led to renewed calls for a ban on the practice. “The life of a work horse is anything but magical as the horses are forced to work in nearly any and all work conditions for long hours with little rest and under difficult conditions. Modern cities like Paris, France, Beijing, China and London have all found a way to ban the horse-drawn carriage rides while maintaining a thriving tourism sector; New York can and must do the same. What will it take to end this barbaric practice once and for all?” asked Assemblymember Rosenthal.
Noticias de New York