Following through on a campaign promise, New York City Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio has pronounced the traditional horse drawn carriage industry in NYC’s Central Park “over,” claiming he will act quickly to end a practice he views as inhumane.
Unfortunately, as pointed out in the New York Post back in October, the move may result in the animals’ slaughter.
There are more than 200 horses used in the city’s carriage industry and their fate remains unknown as mayoral election approaches. It’s possible the animals could be destroyed due to the expensive maintenance.
The animals’ owners, carriage drivers and supporters of the old fashioned industry insist otherwise. Tourists are also said to be flocking to NYC for a horse drawn ride before the practice is extinguished, as it were. If dangerous streets are the problem, there’s no telling when they may begin humanely putting down New York’s many pedestrians as well at this point.
De Blasio and advocacy groups who support him say it’s inhumane to make the horses work the dangerous city streets, but drivers insist their horses are well cared for and there’s no reason to end the industry.
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