Danielle testifies about witnessing horse incidents firsthand

It's a very tough act to follow.

Danielle, go ahead.

You have two minutes.

Council members, thank you for the opportunity to testify.

And to the Mahajan family, I'm so sorry for your loss.

I am also so sorry for all of those who claim to mourn your loss, but do not even take the time to pronounce your name correctly.

My name is Danielle.

I'm a native New Yorker and a longtime Hell's Kitchen and Upper West Side resident.

When previously living on 57th and 10th, I'd watch those horses make the trek to Central Park, have them be spooked by cars honking, bikes cutting them off, and overall just not in a comfortable state.

When now living near the Museum of Natural History, every day I walk my two dogs in the park daily, multiple times a day.

In the last 13 months, there have been eight serious incidents, and I have been firsthand witness to two of them.

On September 1st, the horse Samson was spooked by loud sounds, and myself and my dogs were part of the pedestrians that needed to jump out of the way to not get trampled.

Had my instinct not been quick enough, I would have been trampled.

My heart is dropping just thinking about that experience.

And I soon watched as Samson the horse then smashed into a stop sign.

On June 9th, I was walking with my dogs and saw the horse Denise collapse.

And while there is something awful about witnessing an animal dying, there is nothing more horrible than watching two of my animals react to another animal dying in front of them.

I am here today because in my interview with various media outlets, including CBS, ABC, on September 1st, and in my interview on June 9th, I quoted that it was only a matter of time until that stop sign was a human or a child.

I invite you to look up that footage and see that footage of me saying that with fear in my eyes of what might happen.

And on June 16th, I was leaving the park when friends had texted me about the incident and the critical condition of Ramange.

I am also here because as a dog owner, if my animal is hurt, my instinct is to react.

And in both of those incidents, I know I'm short on time, but I think it's important to express that my instinct as an animal owner and someone who genuinely cares for animals is to react to them in danger.

While I am not speaking to all horse carriage drivers, I am speaking to those two in front of me that I saw.

I saw them have complete apathy for the situation, and then as soon as the news cameras came on, have staged performance of care.

Okay, if you could wrap up.

I will wrap up.

While those in opposition might say it was one off in decades of Romange's tragedy and the industry just needs to be regulated, my perspective is that you cannot regulate instinct.

It was instinct for Romange to protect his mother.

It was instinct for horses to be spooked, to be bolted.

And if this legislation is not passed, it is only a matter of time that another human will lose its life.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you.

Go ahead.