Rosemary Espinal testifies supporting ban, holds past council responsible
Rosemary Espinal testifies that a government failing to protect vulnerable beings including horses is not effective, and tells council members who previously voted to keep carriages that they bear responsibility for Romanch's death.
Good afternoon.
My name is Rosemary Espinal.
Honorable council members, a government that fails to protect its most vulnerable, it's not an effective government.
And that includes horses who are made to work in excruciating and deplorable conditions in the streets of New York City.
Animals need our protection.
These horses suffer pain and depression from the atrocious conditions and hard labor they're made to endure.
New York City should not be participating in this cruel and depraved industry.
A human life was lost.
But so have many horses lost their lives, too, in a cruel and senseless activity.
To those council members who voted in the past to keep horse carriages, you bear some responsibility for the death of Mr.
Romance because you failed to dismantle this industry when you had the power to do so.
To council members today, I plead with you not to make the same mistakes that other council members made in the past.
Please help put an end to this long and painful chapter for New York City and pass Intro 943.
Thank you.