Victory! NYC to Put Carriage Industry Out to Pasture; PETA Pledges $50K Toward Horses’ Retirement

For Immediate Release:
October 22, 2026

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Moments ago, the New York City Council voted 40-7 to pass Romanch’s Law, which consigns the city’s horse-drawn carriage industry to the history books by June 1, 2028. At a news conference just before the vote, PETA joined Speaker Julie Menin at City Hall Park and announced that it will donate $50,000 toward the horses’ future care.

PETA has fought for this bill for over four decades, and today’s landmark legislation comes after a campaign involving protests, voter involvement, billboards, and support from hundreds of thousands of PETA supporters, including lifelong New Yorker and PETA Honorary Director Edie Falco, who testified in support of the bill. Below, please find a statement from PETA Director Ashley Byrne:

It’s the end of the road for a vile industry that has forced horses to haul heavy carriages through chaotic traffic and punishing weather until they collapsed and died. Speaker Menin did what no sitting Council speaker before her had the hutzpah to do: She chose the horses’ welfare over greed, pushed the bill forward, and delivered the decisive leadership needed to get Romanch’s Law across the finish line and the beleaguered horses off the streets. PETA salutes her determination, thanks Mayor Mamdani for his stalwart support and his commitment to ensuring a smooth transition, and is proud to mark this victory by putting up $50,000 to help these horses retire to greener pastures.

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.