PETA Statement: Historic NYC Council Hearing Marks Major Step Toward Horse-Drawn Carriage Ban

For Immediate Release:
July 15, 2026

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Below, please find a statement from PETA Director of Outreach Ashley Byrne regarding today’s New York City Council Health Committee hearing on Intro 943—Romanch’s Law (formerly known as Ryder’s Law). The bill is named after 18-year-old Romanch Mahajan, who was tragically killed after falling from a runaway horse-drawn carriage in Central Park while trying to save his mother; it was previously named after Ryder, a horse who collapsed on Ninth Avenue and later died.

Today’s hearing was a resounding victory for horses and public safety. Thanks to the voices of PETA Honorary Director Edie Falco, Speaker Julie Menin, the Mahajan family, animal protection organizations, veterinarians, and hundreds of compassionate New Yorkers, Romanch’s Law now has a majority of cosponsors, bringing us closer than ever to a ban on New York City’s deadly horse-drawn carriage industry. As Falco proclaimed, ‘From the deepest part of my heart, these animals are not ours. They are not put on this planet to do our bidding,’ and now these horses, and the people of this great city, may soon see a future free from this dangerous, archaic industry as Romanch’s Law advances to a full council vote.

Edie Falco (right) with New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin today. Photo: PETA

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