Valentine's Day Protest Calls Attention to Carriage Horses' Misfortune

Friends of Animals, a nonprofit dedicated to helping animals live free according to their own terms, held a Valentine's Day demonstration on Central Park South to protest the use of horse-drawn carriages. The event, which attracted upwards of 40 people, featured remarks by Edita Birnkrant, NYC Campaign Coordinator for Friends of Animals.

New York, NY (PRWEB) February 16, 2008 -- Friends of Animals, a nonprofit dedicated to helping animals live free according to their own terms, held a Valentine's Day demonstration on Central Park South to protest the use of horse-drawn carriages. The event, which attracted upwards of 40 people, featured remarks by Edita Birnkrant, NYC Campaign Coordinator for Friends of Animals.

Birnkrant stated, "Horse-drawn carriages have no place in modern society, and Valentine's Day is the perfect day to reveal the very unromantic truth about this inherently cruel industry."

Since January 2006, there have been seven accidents involving carriage horses, and at least four horses have died as a result of accidents or neglect.

Councilman Tony Avella has introduced historic legislation to the New York City Council that would ban the operation and use of horse-drawn carriages. This legislation (http://www.nyccouncil.info/html/legislation/legislation_details.cfm?ID=Int%200658-2007&TYPE=all&YEAR=2006&SPONSORS=YES&REPORTS=YES&HISTORY=YES), Introduction 658, is still pending. Friends of Animals firmly supports this legislation.

Donny Moss, a documentary filmmaker who recently completed the film, Blinders (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31GgmMsFzOM), about the controversial horse-drawn carriage industry, explained that "according to veterinarians who inspected the horses and stables on behalf of the ASPCA, certain conditions in New York City cannot be corrected in a way that would make this industry humane or safe."

You can learn more about Friends of Animals on their website at www.friendsofanimals.org.

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