Eleanor Malbegot (Humane Society of NY) testifies supporting ban
Eleanor Malbegot, legal counsel for the Humane Society of NY, testifies about drafting the 1981 rental horse law, noting that even after passage, four horses dropped dead in summer heat, and that reforms have not worked.
I'm Eleanor Malbegot.
I'm legal counsel for the Humane Society of New York right here on East 59th Street.
And I'm here to testify in favor of Intro 943.
I'll even go back almost 50 years.
I drafted the rental horse licensing and protection law, working with then-Councilmember Stern and Tony Olivieri, Morton Povman.
So these are like way back when.
At that time, I was with the ASPCA.
We got the law passed.
We thought, great.
Things will get better.
There was concern about lame horses, overworking horses, accidents, horses working in traffic, and horses working in severe weather conditions.
Even after the law passed, four horses dropped dead, literally, in New York City during the summer heat.
So concern for the horses, not so much in terms of the industry.
And even now, when I was listening to the testimony, I was listening to the health department say how many animals, how many horses they suspended.
Because of the heat.
I'm thinking, why did they even have to suspend the horses?
Why were they out there at all?
We all know what the weather report is.
Why would they even be out there and having to wait to be suspended?
And just one last thing, because I,
We all know about the accidents, and I don't want to be too repetitive in the other cities that have passed laws, but...
Another conversation I had with Councilmember Stern, who became Parks Commissioner Stern, after we had worked together on the city legislation, was there were efforts to have the horses go to the park.
And he said to me, no, he said, as much as he was an advocate for the horses, he said, this is just going to bring all of the terrible problems we have in the city streets to the park with the pedestrians, with the bicyclists, with the cars, with everything.
And he was right.
Like how many more accidents must there be before we do something now?
The reform has not worked.
Thank you.
The regulations have not worked.
So it's time, and we thank you very much.
Thank you.