Preventing Colic Deaths

"If owners and veterinarians could catch all serious cases of colic within three to four hours, survival rates would go way up, and we would have finally taken steps to dramatically change how many horses are saved."
Read "Detecting Pain" by Anthony Blikslager, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVS (TheHorse.com, free registration required)

Colic was the presumptive cause of the death last month of the 8-year-old carriage horse Clancy. However, the industry refused to release the cause of death, forcing the ASPCA to file a Freedom of Information Act to gain access to the veterinary records.

Animal cruelty (in particular, working sick animals) is not entertainment. In the view of NYC carriage drivers, however, efforts at early detection of colic and early and aggressive veterinary care would take a horse out of the workforce and cut into the profit margin of this cash business. NYC carriage horses receive infrequent veterinary care--this doesn't give them a fighting chance against colic.

Support Intro. 658/2007, the bill to ban horse-drawn carriages. Ask your City Council member to co-sponsor this important bill. Take Action Now