Written by Jeff Mackey
Update: After this latest tragic horse-drawn carriage accident, New York native Adrien Brody has thrown his support behind PETA's campaign to get horses off New York City's streets. The Academy Award–winning actor wrote to City Council Speaker Christine Quinn on PETA's behalf urging her to adopt the proposed pilot program to replace the carriages with eco-friendly replicas of classic cars. You can read Adrien's letter here.
Originally posted August 19:
Yet another scary incident involving a horse occurred in Manhattan last week as Oreo, a horse forced to pull carriages around Central Park, panicked at the chaotic automotive traffic at Columbus Circle and fled down Broadway, overturning the carriage, which contained the driver and two passengers. Shocked onlookers—including Soledad O'Brien of CNN—watched as the carriage struck an object, splitting in two. Oreo was finally restrained and tranquilized by the police.
In addition to the public danger that crashes like this pose, as PETA has often pointed out in its campaign to help New York City's horses, it's simply cruel to make horses pull heavy loads on hard pavement in all kinds of weather, dodging loud traffic and inhaling exhaust fumes. Celebrities—including Martina Navratilova, Pink, Kristen Johnston, and Lea Michele—have offered their support for PETA's campaign to get these anguished animals off the mean streets of Gotham.
It's high time for the horse-drawn carriage industry to be put out to pasture permanently. Please join PETA in asking City Council Speaker Christine Quinn to support a bill seeking to replace the carriages with eco-friendly classic cars.
Written by PETA
Snow is great when you're watching it through your window with a soy hot chocolate, but imagine being in harness, dragging a cart full of tourists through slush and ice all day, without even a blanket—despite temperatures in the teens—and with nothing but iron between you and the pavement. Doesn't sound like such a happy holiday to me. And when you call the ASPCA, they mumble that they really can't do much. Go figure! That's why PETA supporters Alec Baldwin, Calvin Klein, Todd Oldham, Kathy Najimy, and our very own Golden Girl, Rue McClanahan, have joined together to sponsor our holiday ad calling on New York City to ban horse-drawn carriages!
You remember our Kristen Johnston ad in which she appears as Lady Godiva on a (fake) horse? That ad reads, "Don't get taken for a ride. Horse-drawn carriages are cruel." With help from our famous friends, our ads are going to appear on the tops of hundreds of NYC taxis throughout the holiday season!
It certainly helps to have kindhearted friends in Hollywood places, especially when you're defending those with no voices of their own. Hopefully, this will remind anyone looking for a ride that there are kinder alternatives! So remember, if you're lucky enough to be in New York for the holidays, make sure to save a horse and ride the subway!
Written by Lianne Turner
The latest spread in Us magazine features our favorite fur-toting trolls as they exemplify the ugly side of fashion. The haggard crones just can't seem to get enough of killing animals for their fur, whether they're wearing it, designing with it, or paying someone to rip it off the backs of animals.
When PETA Senior Vice President Dan Mathews was asked about a photo of Hairy-Kate dressed in a hideous fur vest, he said, "Fur adds 20 years and 20 pounds. Maybe Mary-Kate thinks this sad vest made of a dozen dead animals will make her look matronly and deflect the gossip about bulimia."
Think you've got a snappier remark? You know we want to hear it, so comment below!
Written by Jennifer Cierlitsky
We're all about New Year's Resolutions here at PETA. Mine is to quit eating so much delicious vegan junk food and start cooking healthier vegan meals. Pop star Katy Perry had a similar idea when she said, "I try to want to be a vegetarian 'cause I know it would be more of a healthier option for me."
She's right! On average, vegetarians and vegans weigh 10 to 20 pounds less than their carnivorous counterparts, and cutting animals from your diet solves all sorts of other health issues as well. So, if you were thinking about trying to lose weight for the New Year, taking our "Pledge to Be Veg" is a safe bet! Just to give Katy a little extra encouragement, we decided to send her a copy of Skinny Bitch and a basket full of yummy vegan food! Not only that, we sent her a list of vegetarian restaurants to visit on her January 2009 tour. It should come in handy when she's trying to eat healthy on the road.
So kudos to Katy for a smart New Year's Resolution! Not only would her new diet give her more energy to perform, but it's an easy way to save energy, the environment, and animals as well. Happy New Year, Katy!
Do you have an animal-friendly resolution? Let's hear it!
Yes, the Kristen Johnston, and yes, she is starkers on that plastic horse.
Two-time Emmy Award–winning actor Kristen Johnston, whom you will remember as the hysterical Sally on Third Rock From the Sun, stripped down for PETA's new ad targeting the cruelty of the horse-drawn carriage trade. In this gorgeous tribute to Lady Godiva—another fearless activist—Kristen urges us not to "get taken for a ride," because horse-drawn carriages are cruel, not romantic. Check it out:
Yours truly was lucky enough to attend the launch of Kristen's ad—because it was in New York, natch, where a bill is being proposed that would ban horse-drawn carriages! Kristen's beautiful ad is displayed on more than 100 taxi tops all over the city, so we decided to show them off in the most natural place—in Central Park, just across the street from where the carriage drivers wait to pick up passengers.
Kristen was very gracious about posing for the press, even hopping up on the hood of one of the taxis. She's a very classy lady, and was kind enough to take pictures with a few fans as well. One older lady was so excited when she saw Kristen that she went right up to shake her hand, and just beamed from ear to ear when she had her picture taken with the actress.
Kristen is just as funny in person as she is on screen, and it was a treat to work with her. She's also passionate about helping get the carriage horses out of their traces and off the streets—as are many people when they learn about the way the horses are abused. So once you're done staring at the ad, read more facts about carriage horses. And if you're a New York City resident, please contact your city council representative and urge him or her to support Councilmember Dan Garodnick's bill to replace the city's horse-drawn carriages with eco-friendly electric models of classic 1920s cars! How glam, right?
Written by Amanda Schinke
If you have a general question for PETA and would like a response, please e-mail Info@peta.org. If you need to report cruelty to an animal, please click here. If you are reporting an animal in imminent danger and know where to find the animal and if the abuse is taking place right now, please call your local police department. If the police are unresponsive, please call PETA immediately at 757-622-7382 and press 2.
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