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NYC carriage drivers have committed more than a dozen “hit & runs” over the past five years, according to allegations in police records that the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) obtained by court order from the City of New York. Jane Velez-Mitchell speaks to Chris Green, Legislative Director of ALDF, about the news:

One of 14 “hit & run” complaints filed with NYPD

At a NYCLASS press conference at City Hall announcing the reported “hit & runs,” ALDF’s Legislative Director Chris Green said that the group also discovered “several alarming incidents” that had not been publicly reported. In one instance, a child was rushed to the hospital after falling out of a carriage and being run over by a wheel. The police report stated that the victim “suffered injuries to stomach, chest and head.”

Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) announces “hit & runs” at NYC press conference

In another incident, a carriage driver “was thrown to the ground” and found by police “laying in the street, not moving.” In the photo below, a  driver was ejected from carriage and hospitalized in a coma when his horse spooked and collided with a station wagon. Unlike many other accidents, this one was reported because witnesses took photos and informed the press and local advocacy groups.

Crash in midtown shows danger of mixing horses and cars (photo: Catherine Nance)

With the help of the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages and the local office of Friends of Animals, the ALDF filed a successful lawsuit against the City of New York to release the “hit & run” and other records, which show that “children, cyclists, pedestrians, carriage drivers passengers and NYPD officers have been physically injured by accidents involving New York’s horse carriages.”

Tensions ran high at the press conference, as members of the opposition, including reporters who favor the industry, asked hostile questions of the speakers, including NYC Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez, who spoke in favor of removing carriages from the streets.

NYC Council Member Tweets Support of Horse-drawn Carriage Ban

The effort to ban horse-drawn carriages has been an uphill battle, in part because the NY Times, NY Post and Daily News have published editorials in support of the trade. Nonetheless, local and national animal rights groups continue to advocate relentlessly on behalf of the horses. Mayor Bill de Blasio, who agrees that carriages do not belong on NYC streets, has stated on multiple occasions that he intends to “end carriage rides” in NYC.

If you live in NYC, ask your Council Member to support the Mayor’s plan to end carriage rides in NYC

Sign the two petitions to ban horse-drawn carriages: Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages, NYCLASS

To keep apprised of developments, subscribe to the weekly newsletter of the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages by sending an email to coalition@banhdc.org

Watch the award-winning documentary film BLINDERS: The Truth Behind the Tradition that exposes the truth behind the tradition of NYC’s infamous horse-drawn carriage trade:

Jane Velez-Mitchell, former host “Jane Velez-Mitchell” on HLN (Headline News Network), has created a new show dedicated to animal rights. On “Jane Unchained,” Velez-Mitchell, who has been America’s most prominent spokesperson for animal rights, reports on the day’s news with the same dedication and emotion that turned this TV news anchor into an icon in the animal rights movement.

Donny Moss from TheirTurn was lucky enough to a guest on her first two shows. On the first show, Velez-Mitchell and Moss discuss the impact of meat on the climate, the horse-drawn carriage fiasco in NYC and how a single issue can draw caring people into a cruelty-free lifestyle.

If you’d like to follow Jane’s program, you can watch her YouTube channel and follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

On Sunday morning, a carriage horse escaped from his handler and fled down 11th Avenue in midtown Manhattan. Police officers chased the spooked horse in vehicles with flashing lights, which could have made him even more frantic. If the incident had taken place at a busier time, the horse could have easily crashed into a moving car, which has happened many times in the past when horses break free in midtown.

The fleeing horse is symbolic of an industry out of control since the ASPCA relinquished its humane law enforcement duties in January. On Friday, The Daily News published a letter about the chaos written by Elizabeth Forel, president of the Coalition to Ban Horse-drawn Carriages:

Because horses are flight animals, many have spooked and fled frantically down NYC streets. In  The blinders that curb their vision can only block some of the stimuli. In 2007, a horse named Smoothie who fled after being spooked by drums crashed and died on 59th St.

Smoothie spooked and died on 59th St.

Because horses spook unexpectedly, little footage exists. A wedding photographer in St. Louis, however, did capture a horse who fled with a carriage when revelers set off sparklers (1:07)

While waiting for NYC Mayor de Blasio to fulfill his campaign promise to take the horses off the streets, activists continue to advocate on their behalf. On Wednesday, NYCLASS is hosting a lobby day at City Hall “to urge Council Members to support the Mayor’s efforts to end the unsafe and inhumane carriage horse industry.”

On Thursday, the organization is staging a protest in front of lawmakers’ offices in memory of Charlie, a carriage horse who fell to the ground and died on the street.

RIP Charlie

On Sunday, the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages is staging a protest on 59th Street, where the carriage drivers line up to wait for customers.

If you live in NYC, please join NY-CLASS in its efforts to rally support at City Hall for the Mayor’s plan to ban horse-drawn carriages. If you live elsewhere, please sign their petition to ban horse-drawn carriages from the streets of midtown Manhattan.

To learn more about the issue and keep apprised of news related to the movement to ban the industry, please subscribe to the weekly newsletter of the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages by sending an email to coalition@banhdc.org.

Watch the award-winning documentary film BLINDERS: The Truth Behind the Tradition.

In its ongoing effort to cripple the Mayor’s plan to ban horse-drawn carriages from the streets of NYC, the Daily News, one of city’s top three papers, has created increasingly ludicrous news hooks to shift public opinion.

Last week, the Daily News reported that a Franciscan priest not only “delivered a brief equine prayer and splashed a bit of holy water on every horse’s mane” but also “saved enough water to deliver a blessing for the carriages and hay stored in the stables.”

Objective news organization? Most certainly not!

In May, the Daily News used a scare tactic:

The stories have been so ridiculous that some readers think, at first glance, that they’re satire. One reader wrote, “The Daily News has become The Onion.”

The public doesn’t know why the Daily News has compromised its credibility by using its opinion and news pages to advocate for the horse-drawn carriage trade, but some speculate that it’s an underhanded way to discredit the Mayor.

In the weeks leading up to the 2013 election, the Daily News frequently published mean-spirited stories about the progressive Mr. de Blasio in an attempt to derail his candidacy. Now that he’s Mayor, the “news” organization appears to be using his support of a ban on carriages as an ongoing hook to discredit him.

Logo included in each NY Daily News story promoting horse carriage trade

Horse-drawn carriages cannot be operated humanely or safely in NYC for many reasons – from the congested city streets where they work to the lack of a pasture when they can graze, move freely and interact with other horses, as herd animals do. To learn more about the plight of the carriage horses and join the fight, please visit the Coalition to Ban Horse-drawn Carriages and NY-CLASS.

Do horse-drawn carriages belong in Times Square?

One week after NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio said, “There’s tremendous support in the City Council” for banning horse-drawn carriages, a NYC lawmaker who would normally oversee legislation relating to the carriage business held a press conference opposing the Mayor’s plan.

“For over 150 years, the horse carriage industry has grown to employ 300 drivers, blacksmiths and stable workers,”  said Council Member Rafael Espinal. The stables, he says “have been modernized with top of the line equipment to make sure that each horse is healthy and safe.”

Note: Even if the stables were adequate, that wouldn’t change the fact that the horses work in the congested streets of NYC; have no access to a pasture; and are denied the ability to do anything that comes naturally to them.

Ironically, the press conference took place just a couple hours after a carriage driver who had been charged with “torturing and injuring animals” made an appearance in criminal court just a few blocks away.

Thirty activists with NY-CLASS attended the press conference and held signs: “Espinal is on the Wrong Side of History.”

Espinal Supports NYC Carriage Trade Photo: Juliet Papa

The road to banning horse-drawn carriages has been paved with more speed bumps than anticipated, with the Teamsters Union, Working Families Party, New York Daily News, carriage owners and actor Liam Neeson working aggressively to keep horse-drawn carriages in NYC.

The Mayor, who has consistently reaffirmed his support of a ban, faces an uphill battle, and he needs the help of those of us who support his position. Please visit NY-CLASS, which leading the fight at City Hall, to see how you can help.