Dr. Joanna Grossman (Animal Welfare Institute) testifies supporting ban
Dr. Joanna Grossman of the Animal Welfare Institute testifies about heading the Homeless Horses Coalition of 500+ rescues, supports the ban, and lists welfare concerns including exhaust, noise, traffic, long hours, and lack of pasture access.
I can go.
One of you should go.
Go ahead.
Sure.
Good morning, or good afternoon, I should say.
My name is Dr.
Joanna Grossman, and I'm the equine program director for the Animal Welfare Institute.
We are grateful to Speaker Menon, Councilmember Marte, Chair Schulman, and the committee for calling this hearing on Intro 943, Ramach's Law.
AWI, one of the nation's oldest animal protection groups, heads up the Homeless Horses Coalition, which is a network of over 500 equine rescues and sanctuaries.
We fully support this legislation to face out horse-drawn carriages in the city.
This reform is long overdue, and we trust that the council will do right by ending these unnecessary rides.
The question is not whether horses can pull these carriages, but whether the circumstances pose too many risks.
And the answer unequivocally is yes.
Horse-drawn carriages do not need to continue in such a densely populated setting with conditions that run counter to equine welfare, not to mention countless factors that can cause these horses to spook and bolt.
Ramach's death is an unimaginable tragedy that no family should have to face.
It should weigh heavily on all of us as we consider how to prevent more accidents.
I don't think there was a dry eye in the room hearing what that family has endured.
As the Central Park Conservancy put it, this is the tragedy we feared when we first called for horse carriages to be banned from Central Park due to the risks they pose.
In June, immediately after a 16-year-old horse named Denise collapsed and died, struggling to breathe in front of onlookers, Philadelphia became the latest city to prohibit horse-drawn carriages.
New York must be a leader in this space before the next.
inevitable accident occurs.
There have been far too many troubling incidents in recent years.
Continuing the status quo is not tenable for the sake of New Yorkers, visitors to the city, and the horses themselves.
The risks and problems are well understood.
The exhaust, pollution, noise, lights, traffic, congestion, construction, asphalt, temperature extremes,
Long hours, lack of access to pastures and turnout.
These are just some of the welfare concerns that exist and the list could easily go on.
How many times do we have to see a horse collapse or spook before taking action?
Hopefully no longer.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Who's next?