Horse’s Death Prompts Protest of Boston’s Carriage Industry

PETA Members Confront Tourists Over Horses’ Sad Nose-to-Tailpipe Existence

For Immediate Release:
September 5, 2014

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

On the heels of an August 24 incident in which a horse named Freddie—who had been used to pull carriages in Boston for almost 30 years—collapsed and died in his harness, PETA members will gather in downtown Boston for a spirited protest against the city’s cruel and dangerous horse-drawn carriage industry. The protesters will call on tourists not to take carriage rides, explaining that forcing old horses to pull heavy loads through exhaust-filled streets deprives them of any semblance of a life and places the safety of both the horses and passengers at risk. Accidents that cause injuries and even kill horses and tourists alike are a regular occurrence.

When:   Saturday, September 6, 1–3 p.m.

Where:  At the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and State Street, Boston

“Horse-drawn carriages are a cruel throwback to a century ago, and this idea, like the horses, deserves to be put out to pasture,” says PETA Foundation Deputy General Counsel Delcianna Winders. “PETA is calling on Boston residents and visitors to skip the carriage rides in favor of the city’s many safe and cruelty-free attractions.”

A growing number of cities—including Biloxi, Miss.; Key West, Palm Beach, Pompano Beach, and Treasure Island, Fla.; Camden, N.J.; Delhi, India; Oxford, England; and Tel Aviv, Israel—have banned commercial horse-drawn carriage operations. These operations are also extremely restricted in London, Paris, Rome, and Toronto.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.