Horse Bill Draws Celebrities in Citywide Ad Blitz Urging Council to Ban Carriages

Anjelica Huston, Tim Gunn, Edie Falco, and Russell Simmons Appear in Ads in All Five Boroughs

For Immediate Release:
December 14, 2014

Contact:
Moira Colley 202-483-7382

On the heels of the introduction of the landmark bill to retire horses from New York City’s carriage trade, PETA has recruited celebrities to appear in ads in key districts to help pressure undecided council members to support Mayor Bill de Blasio’s initiative. The giant ads feature a horse who died on the streets of Manhattan in 2011 and an inset photo and quotation from each star.

Fashion guru Tim Gunn takes aim at Manhattan Council Member Corey Johnson in an ad that reads, “Carriage drivers have been filmed spewing racist, sexist, and homophobic taunts at anyone who dares express concern for the unfortunate horses forced to dodge buses and cabs every day.”

Upper East Side Council Member Ben Kallos is called upon to endorse the measure in an ad featuring actor Anjelica Huston, who says, “It’s surprising to me that a city known for its progressive spirit still allows this cruel and dangerous tourist trap. Dozens of accidents over the past few years highlight the immense safety hazard and lack of regulation of this industry.” Huston just published a memoir in which she writes of growing up caring for horses as an equestrian.

Actor Edie Falco targets Bronx Council Member James Vacca in a poster that reads, “Drivers have been caught forcing horses to work in weather extremes and while injured.” And in Brooklyn, Staten Island, and the Bronx, hip-hop pioneer Russell Simmons asks council members to support the bill and retire the horses for good.

Sponsored by PETA and NYCLASS, the ads will appear on bus shelters within blocks of select council members’ home offices starting December 15.

For more information, please visit PETA.org and NYCLASS.org.