A 15-year-old carriage horse named Lady tragically collapsed and died in the sweltering summer heat on a New York City street this week, just one block away from her stable, according to CBS News.
The mare, who began working in the city in June, was seen trembling before collapsing onto the hard pavement, knocking her driver down in the process.
After being found dead at the scene, she was dragged onto a trailer by workers from the nearby stables and transported to the building.
“It felt like they were really desperate to remove it,” a bystander told the New York Post.
New York City’s Department of Health has launched an investigation into Lady’s death, and a necropsy will be conducted at Cornell University to determine the cause.
This incident comes nearly three years after Ryder, a senior horse in poor health, collapsed on a New York City street and was later euthanized. In July, the driver was found not guilty of animal cruelty charges.
“How many more horses have to collapse and die on city streets before this cruel industry is finally shut down?” said Nina Jackel, founder of Lady Freethinker. “New York City must finally put an end to this needless cruelty.”
The day after Lady’s death, activists and City Council Members rallied outside the stables in support of Ryder’s Law, which would ban horse-drawn carriages in New York City and assist industry workers in finding alternative employment.
“Cities around the world, including Chicago, Montreal, London, Paris, even San Antonio, have already moved beyond this outdated business, and that’s why the majority of New Yorkers want it shut down,” NYCLASS Executive Director Edita Birnkrant said.
It’s time to finally stop the suffering.
If you haven’t yet, please add your voice to call for a ban on cruel horse-drawn carriages in NYC by signing Lady Freethinker’s petition:
