8 July 2007 - Vol. # 39
(See
also: 5 July 2007 - Vol. # 38 -
SPECIAL EDITION)
PETA Demo **
Bud **
Henry Bergh & the ASPCA **
What You Can Do
** New Blog
PROTEST THE
LATEST CARRIAGE HORSE ACCIDENT
Demo sponsored by PETA - July 11 - 12:00-1:00
People
for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is sponsoring a
demonstration on Wednesday, July 11th near City Hall park to
protest the
most recent accident involving Bud, a 12 year old carriage
horse, that occurred on July 4th. Please join us. Time: 12:00 to
1:00 on Broadway at City Hall Park.
MANY TRAINS GO TO CITY HALL -- THIS IS HOW TO GET THERE: #2 &
3 - get off at Park Place exit at Park Place and Broadway
- demo will be across the street. #4,5, & 6 - get off at
Brooklyn Bridge/City Hall. This will leave you on the east side
of City Hall - you will need to walk through City Hall Park to
Broadway (very short walk) R & W - Get off at City Hall
- this leaves you at Broadway - right at the demonstration;
E,C A - Get off at Chambers St./World Trade Center - take
the Church St. and Park Place exit and walk one block east to
Broadway.
BUD
the 12 year old gelding involved in this accident
Who
knows why Bud was spooked. Maybe he just couldn't take it anymore.
He was on the job for a few years according to our records so it is
not like he was new to traffic. But something obviously scared him
and he tore down the street - fleeing from his tormentors. We have
been told that Bud will be retired to a farm. Hmmmmm. I find that
hard to accept. Horses in the carriage industry are commodities -
they need to work to earn money for their owners. They are expensive
to keep - and medical bills are not cheap. We were told that Bud's
tendon or ligament had been cut and his foot was hanging. The NY
Post reported that Bud was walked back to the stable on W.
52nd St. Judging by the extent of Bud's injuries, why didn't
the ASPCA use their horse trailer to transport him? This
stable is over one mile from the scene of the accident. A colleague
e-mailed me about this and I could not have said it better. "I
find it extremely cruel that they have to make the horse walk back
to the stables with gashes on his leg. How horrific and inhumane!"
We want to know where Bud is and if he can be saved!
The officers at the ASPCA did not return calls when asked if they
could provide information as to what happened to the horse. My
source lies elsewhere. In the words of Albert Einstein "The
world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but
because of those who look and do nothing" The ASPCA could
probably shut down this industry with all they know - but they will
not. It assures them of a job and being the heroes of the TV program
Animal Precinct.
HENRY
BERGH
founder of ASPCA
It
is ironic that the ASPCA was founded more than 100 years ago by a
man -
Henry Bergh - who had qualities that one has not seen in either
the leadership or officers of the ASPCA for what seems like forever.
He had guts, great fortitude, courage, and operated by a moral
imperative when it came to the animals. Bergh was not afraid to do
the right thing by the animals and got the name "the Great Meddler"
by the press. He was a tireless protester against the abuse of
animals and it was not unusual for him and his agents to be on the
street arresting people for beating their horses.
Horses were his passion and he has referred to them in his speeches
as "that generous and faithful servant, the horse" and
"that noble creature, the horse." "What struck me most forcibly,"
Bergh declared, "was that mankind derived immense benefits from
these creatures, and gave them in return not the least protection."
He even wore a gold horse's-head scarf pin.
So
what has happened to the ASPCA? Why does it take a David (us) - to
their Goliath to advocate for these horses? As Jill Weitz stated in
her piece
in a
recent newsletter - "The ultimate responsibility lies with
the leadership of the ASPCA. President Ed Sayres claims in a letter
he sent to a colleague of mine that they have not pursued a ban
because there is no political will to end this practice. But isn't
the ASPCA and other animal welfare groups in the business of
BUILDING political will? Why is Mr. Sayres allowing this suffering
to go on? According to the ASPCA website: "A basic tenet of [ASPCA
founder, Henry] Bergh's philosophy, protecting animals was an issue
that crossed party lines and class boundaries. To his audience,
which included some of Manhattan's most powerful business and
government leaders, he stressed, 'This is a matter purely of
conscience; it has no perplexing side issues. It is a moral question
in all its aspects.'" If Henry Bergh were around today, wouldn't he
wonder why these horses are still suffering 140 years later?
The leadership of the ASPCA is
technically in the hands of its board. Some boards rubber stamp what
the president wants. Others take a more forceful stand with the
president as figure head. We wonder about the silent ASPCA board -
particularly since it was not quite three years ago when they
presumably favored taking a position in favor of a ban. As I said -
What happened? Too much hard work? Too much of making a case? Is
there an internal conflict?
WHAT YOU CAN DO
to help the horses
1. PARTICIPATE in our
Post Card campaign to Mayor Bloomberg - See our
past newsletter for more information. 2. VOLUNTEER with us
this Saturday, July 14th - from 1-4 near the hack line. E-mail
Teresa at verush@aol.com if you can make it.
3.
CONTACT MAYOR BLOOMBERG
- Ask him to support a ban of this cruel and archaic industry.
4.
CONTACT YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER- if you have already done so -
call again. Ask them to support legislation for a ban of this
industry. 5. CONTACT the ASPCA - Ed Sayres, president.
esayres@aspca.org. Ask him to act in the spirit of their founder
Henry Bergh and support legislation to ban this industry. 5.
PURCHASE - our T-shirts - or other merchandise to get the
message out. We are selling out two Ts at our cost for the summer
only. Click
here for our on-line store.
NEW
BLOG
about the carriage horse issue
Check out this new blog and comment! Forward to every one you know.
Click here.
PHOTOS
Photo Credit: Juan Arellano All photos (with the
exception of the weeping Henry Bergh) are copyrighted and the
Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages has been given permission to
use them. If you would like permission to use these photos, please
contact
