Children’s Summer Camp Wins PETA Kids Award for Powerful Protest Against Horse-Drawn Cruelty

For Immediate Release:
September 24, 2025

Contact:
Sara Groves 202-483-7382

A Hero to Horses Award is on its way from PETA Kids—part of PETA’s youth division—to Down to Earth Summer Camp in Astoria, Queens, whose campers, ages 7 to 11, hoofed it to Central Park twice this summer to rally support for Ryder’s Law, which would ban horse-drawn carriages in the city and recently received the support of Mayor Eric Adams. Lined up along the park’s path, the small but mighty animal defenders waved handmade signs and chanted, “Free the Horses!” at passing carriages, forcing riders to think twice about using horses to pull them through the park. The summer camp’s director, Rachel Sardina, as well as two children who protested in Central Park, are available for interviews. Video is here.

“Horses have heroes at Down to Earth Astoria Summer Camp, where compassionate kids are proving that even the youngest voices can speak volumes against cruelty by confronting the carriage industry head-on,” says PETA Senior Vice President Colleen O’Brien. “These kids are now seeing the fruits of their labor, and PETA Kids salutes them for setting a shining example for young people by standing up for animals in need.”

Last week, Mayor Adams called on the City Council to pass Ryder’s Law, which  was named after a horse who collapsed on New York City streets and later died. Video footage of Ryder lying on Ninth Avenue went viral, and reports that his driver slapped him, whipped him, and screamed at him to get up sparked outrage.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment or abuse in any other way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information about PETA Kids, please visit PETAKids.com or follow PETA Kids on Facebook or Instagram.