Horse-Drawn Carriages

Sometimes animals in romantic situations can be positively uplifting. Elephants at the circus, sea lions at the zoo, horse-drawn carriages around Central Park, are all sights that New Yorkers take for granted.

I am not a fan of pets, nor a fan of animal abuse, but it never occurred to me until the last couple years that an entrapped elephant dancing in the circus is a prisoner, a slave. The sea lions performing tricks for their dinner have helped us learn more about them, but at what price? The horses pulling carriages down Fifty-Ninth Street are competing for road space with trucks and automobiles.

Although I love watching my daughter watch the sea lions, I get a pang of guilt as they bark and leap on command.

I love the zoo. One of our best outings this Summer was a day at the Bronx Zoo, and I look forward to going back. I love seeing so many different kinds of animals right here in New York City. But at what price to the animals?

I want to bring my daughter to the circus, but what is the real cost? It's not the hundred dollar tickets, it's the abuse of the animals. It's cruel.

My friend Eva directed me to the All Creatures website where I learned about the dangers of the quaint, romantic horse-drawn carriages in Central Park. Their Coalition to Ban Horse Drawn Carriages is making headway and working hard to educate people about the dangers of this seemingly innocuous practice.

Go to the site and read-up on the issue. It's important.

Thanks to Eva for sending this along.


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