Those eyes

"The horse pulling the carriage had really sad eyes," the young woman wrote in her blog post. "I just wanted to rescue him and set him free in some huge field."

Sounds as if she is regretting the ride she took, an uneasy realization that is reached by many tourists. Most every weekend, I speak with people who either avoid a carriage ride altogether--or pledge not to ever take another one. There are plenty of wholesome things to do in NYC.

Support a ban on New York City's horse-drawn carriage industry, a stance that is unanimously supported by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), Friends of Animals, In Defense of Animals, and dozens of other animal welfare organizations. New York City residents should contact their City Council representatives and ask them to support a ban on horse-drawn carriages. Non-New York City residents should contact the mayor (212-NEW-YORK) and make known their support of a ban on this inherently inhumane industry.

Does she, or doesn't she?

Does Princess Christine Quinn support extending term limits? The Central Park Blogger has rounded up the usual suspects and revealed the ending to this suspenseful saga.
Next: Is Gale Brewer is obsessed with bed bugs? Stay tuned.

Oops! Quinn is not a princess, but the speaker of the City Council! My bad! She is notorious for blocking every single piece of animal-friendly legislation that has been introduced, including the pets-in-housing bill and Intro. 658, which would ban horse-drawn carriages. Seriously!

Embarrassingly off-base

The "sliming" tactics of the New York City carriage industry and the handful of individuals who support this inherently cruel industry are mind-boggling. It takes chutzpah to criticize one of the world's leading authorities on the humane treatment of carriage horses while promoting the under-handed "oversight" of a very biased veterinarian who has essentially been a lobbyist for the industry. Holly Cheever, DVM, eloquently answers her critics, including one Upper East Sider who venomously characterizied anti-carriage activists as "Machiavellian" and hurled insults at Dr. Cheever. The pinnacle of absurdity.
The Machiavellian line was hilarious -- I laughed out loud! But seriously, the insulting letter was so bad that I was embarrassed for its writer. Like that cringe that comes from listening to Sarah Palin.
The ever level-headed Dr. Cheever has previously described New York's carriage horse industry as the worst she has ever seen--and never humane. Read her comments as published in a February 2008 letter letter to Metro.

Sign up for the Coalition fundraiser!

Have you signed up yet for the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages fund-raising party? I finally did! (What a deal -- $30 in advance, $40 at the door). And I got around to checking the silent auction items. I know what I'm bidding on ... a vegan organic chocolate gift basket! Helping the horses and getting vegan chocolate--does it get any better than that? I don't think so. And the entertainment is stellar. Mantra 986 may be my new favorite restaurant. I'll see you there, on Tuesday, October 14, at Mantra (986 Second Avenue, between 52nd and 53rd Streets, in midtown Manhattan). If you're bidding on the vegan chocolate, be forewarned: I'll race you to the "Buy It Now" bid! Stand back, I'm a chocolate fiend!
Special guests will include City Council Member Tony Avella, Donny Moss, Joy Askew, Nellie McKay, comics Liam McEneaney and Ann Design, and our emcee, Fiona Walsh. Very cool!

Put this on your "To Do" list!

Get your tickets for the fundraiser! Space is limited, but you need to be there on October 14, 2008, because the proceeds benefit the ongoing work of the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages. Some special guests will be attending, including City Council Member Tony Avella and documentary-maker Donny Moss. There's a fantastic entertainment lineup: Fiona Walsh, Joy Askew, Nellie McKay, Ann Design, and Liam McEneaney.

If you are involved in efforts to ban horse-drawn carriages, you must make this the event to attend! Clear your calendar for October 14, and head over to the fundraiser at Mantra 986 on Second Avenue, between 52nd and 53rd Streets, 6-10 pm (arrive on time and take part in the silent auction!) An evening of great entertainment, food, and fun--and it's for a great cause. Tickets are $30 in advance, $40 at the door.

Get your tickets early, through PayPal (via the Coalition website). If you prefer to pay by check, make it payable to the Coalition for NYC Animals, Inc. The mailing address is: PO Box 20247, Park West Station, New York, NY 10025.

Check out the Silent Auction catalog ...
About Mantra 986
Seriously, cancel those other plans! You know you want to attend this party!

Photography is risky

Really bad behavior on the part of some in the New York City carriage industry is nothing new. But you probably already know that, if you've seen videos like this one. [Warning: It's vile. Adults only, please.]

One commenter from the industry is whining on YouTube that the owner didn't know this fellow was a loose cannon, that this is an aberration, etc. However, we see quite a bit of bad behavior on the hack line on a daily basis.
Video from a YouTube member

Staying on topic

Irrelevant industry, crude tactics, suffering horses
More proof that the industry is irrelevant, ridiculous, and circumvents the law came this week, when threatening phone calls allegedly were made to a pub that was to have been the setting for a fund-raiser in support of a ban. The intimidating calls, of course, which were described to a member of the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages by a pub manager, are believed to be from someone in the carriage industry. The pub pulled the plug on the venue, the manager saying he feared for the safety of his employees. Drivers are already dismissing the entire incident as a lie. However, the pub manager reiterated his account (he himself used the word "riot") to a second coalition member, and also to Councilman Tony Avella, in phone calls.

Lest you think this is a first, consider that a well-known NYC business that has been running ads in support of an industry ban received intimidating phone calls before the campaign started--and the caller did identify himself. This was heard by a number of people.

Avella, a mayoral candidate and the sponsor of a measure to ban the industry (with the idea of providing a reasonable alternative), denounced this week's thug tactics at a hastily arranged news conference on Friday.

The idea that some scary phone calls would derail efforts to ban the industry is laughable and pathetic at the same time.