Horses inhale car fumes, work on steamy asphalt

Dina Kalra, a retired officer of the New York City Police Department (NYPD), testified at a recent hearing about having worked in the area around Central Park, around the horse-drawn carriages. Speaking as a supporter of the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages (NYC), she pointed out the stark contrasts between the circumstances of NYPD horses and those of the horses that pull carriages around the park "on asphalt, and in severe temperatures, and inhaling fumes from cars."
Her testimony was part of a public hearing in January 2009 on two bills pertaining to the New York City horse-drawn carriage industry. One bill, Intro. 658-A, would ban outright the industry, which is deemed inhumane by the ASPCA, the Humane Society of the United States, and various animal advocacy organizations, as well as the Bar Association of the City of New York.
A second bill (Intro. 653-A) would reward this cash-only industry while further eroding any semblance of transparency and accountability; the ASPCA would no longer have a role in inspecting the stables or the horses, and fewer veterinary inspections would be required. Notably, the Bar Association, Humane Society of the United States, and ASPCA all oppose the industry bill. It would give the drivers a raise, even though blatant overcharging in excess of the legally allowable fare is well documented and can be seen on YouTube.
The city derives no direct revenue from this cash-only industry, which by official tourism bureau estimates is said to generate about $15 million annually.

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News & Politics

Tags:

• Dina Kalra
• Tony Avella
• horse-drawn carriage
• carriage horse
• Intro. 658-A
• Intro. 658A
• Intro. 653-A
• Intro. 653A
• John Liu
• Charles Barron
• James Gennaro
• Leroy Comrie
• G. Oliver Koppell
• ASPCA