Jillian Michaels to Quinn: NYC Horses Are the Biggest Losers
Jillian Michaels to Quinn: NYC Horses Are the Biggest Losers
For Immediate Release:
September 5, 2013
Contact:
Moira Colley 202-483-7382
New York — Outspoken TV trainer Jillian Michaels has entered the fray over New York City’s controversial horse-drawn carriages, challenging City Council Speaker Christine Quinn to stop blocking an initiative to help the horses in a new PETA poster (you can view the ad here) to be plastered all over the city. “NYC’s horses are the biggest losers,” proclaims Jillian, whose NBC hit, The Biggest Loser, starts its 15th season on October 8. The equestrian is urging Quinn to stop ignoring constituents and the majority of the City Council and allow discussion of a pilot program that would test eco-friendly classic cars as a replacement for the city’s unsanitary and dangerous horse-drawn carriages.
“Work brings me to Manhattan a lot, and as much as I love the city, it’s depressing to see the sad horses pounding the pavement in all weather extremes amid blaring sirens and horns,” Jillian says. “I’ve had horses since I was a kid. They are gentle giants, and it’s cruel to force them to navigate midtown traffic, where they often get injured in accidents. Since the majority of the council supports a pilot program to test phasing out the horses, I can’t understand why Speaker Quinn refuses to even allow discussion of the issue. You don’t have to be a New Yorker to want the city cleaner and more humane, so I’m happy to help PETA push for the horses to be retired, as they have been in many other cities.”
Thirty-five of the 51 City Council members support a pilot program to gauge whether the “green” classic cars could replace the horses. This program gained majority support because the cars won’t cause the loss of a single job, as carriage drivers will be offered first crack at driving the tourist-friendly retro vehicles. In just the past two years, at least 18 accidents have killed or injured spooked horses as well as sent terrified passengers to the hospital.
Jillian joins Lea Michele, Anjelica Huston, Alec Baldwin, and many other notable PETA members in speaking up for New York’s beleaguered horses.
As a reminder, PETA cannot and does not get involved in election issues, as we are a 501(c)(3) charity. This issue is just about the initiative to phase out the city’s horse-drawn carriages, which Quinn is personally blocking.
