PETA Renews Call to Philadelphia: Ban Cruel, Dangerous Horse-Drawn Carriages

Second Serious Accident in Seven Months Highlights the Risk to Horses and the Public

For Immediate Release:
April 20, 2010

Contact:
Lisa Wathne  757-622-7382

Philadelphia -- On the heels of a crash on Monday that resulted in injuries to several people and five horses, PETA sent an urgent letter to Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter and the City Council renewing PETA's call to implement a ban on horse-drawn carriages. According to news reports, a car rear-ended a carriage near the corner of Sixth and Race streets, causing a chain reaction involving two other carriages. One carriage driver reportedly suffered a broken arm and had part of his ear ripped off. Three other drivers were treated for injuries, and five horses suffered various scrapes and bruises. PETA's request follows the group's September 2009 plea to ban horse-drawn carriages in Philadelphia after a horse was injured when the animal crashed into a pole while pulling a carriage.

"How many accidents and serious injuries will it take before the city takes action to protect horses and people?" asks PETA Director Debbie Leahy. "Forcing horses to pull heavy loads through busy city streets is cruel, and it's an accident waiting to happen. The only way to ensure the safety of passengers, motorists, and horses is to ban horse-drawn carriages."

In the letter, PETA points out that similar incidents have occurred in nearly every city in which horse-drawn carriages operate, often causing serious and even fatal injuries to horses, motorists, onlookers, carriage operators, and passengers. A growing number of cities--including Biloxi, Miss.; Las Vegas and Reno, Nev.; Palm Beach, Panama City, Key West, Deerfield Beach, and Pompano Beach, Fla.; Santa Fe, N.M.; Camden, N.J.; and London, Paris, Beijing, and Toronto--have banned horse-drawn carriages.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.