Horse and Carriage Demo, June 17th, from 2-4 PM

[Billy Burke]

Billy Burke
apesm...@aol.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Laura Ray <1lauras...@gmail.com>
Sent: Fri, Jun 2, 2023 9:43 pm
Subject: Horse and Carriage Demo, June 17th, from 2-4 PM

WHAT: A demonstration to raise awareness about the cruel horse and carriage industry
WHEN: June 17th, from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
WHERE: Meet on the corner of Atlantic Avenue and State Street, across the street from the Aquarium T Stop

CONTACT: Laura Ray at Laura...@hotmail.com
All materials (such as posters and leaflets) will be provided.
Please dress sharp in black bottoms and a black PETA t-shirt, if you have one. Looking uniform helps our message come across much stronger!

Please refrain from bringing dogs as there may not be shade or a safe place for them to lie down during the protest.
Note that reserved parking will not be available, and please be prepared for the weather. Outreach events are a fun and effective way to help animals as well as meet local advocates, so be sure to invite others!

Background
Making horses pull oversized loads like carriages is cruel. Horses are forced to toil in all weather extremes, dodge traffic, and pound the pavement all day long. They may develop respiratory ailments because they breathe in exhaust fumes, and they can suffer debilitating leg problems from walking on hard surfaces.

Accidents Waiting to Happen
Horses are sensitive and skittish animals. Animals and people have been seriously hurt—and even killed—when horses have become spooked and run amok.

There have also been countless incidents in which carriages have been hit by impatient or careless drivers. Accidents have occurred in nearly every city where carriage rides are allowed.

“There is no way that cities, with their exhaust fumes, hard road surfaces, and busy traffic patterns can provide a humane … environment for a carriage horse.”

—Veterinarian Holly Cheever

Horses are afforded no protection under the federal Animal Welfare Act, so the responsibility of looking out for their welfare falls to local animal-control officials. But anti-cruelty laws provide few safeguards to horses, and many humane agencies just don’t have the resources or the time to monitor horse-drawn carriages on a regular basis. Animals can easily be overworked when profit-driven operators fail to follow regulations.

And there are no laws preventing old, injured, or spent horses from being sent to slaughter. Horses are considered property under the law, so owners can dispose of them in any way that they want. Since many may consider it cost-prohibitive to care for an animal who isn’t bringing in any revenue, the fate of discarded horses is grim.