Chicago May Be Next to Ban Horse Drawn Carriages

The list of major cities to outlaw the use of horse drawn carriages includes New York City; the capital city of Paraguay, Asuncion; and Bogota, Colombia. Visit PETA’s website for more cities that have agreed to ban the cruel practice. Now, Chicago aims to be added to the list!

The debate around horse-drawn carriages involves the welfare of the animal, the traffic conditions around the carriages (many people think that the carriages pose a traffic hazard), and the people who gain their livelihood from the business. With bans happening more often around the country, it’s clear that this old fashioned practice is being reevaluated, which is an important first step in putting the welfare of the animals on center stage.

According to the Huffington Post, “Powerful long-time Chicago Alderman Ed Burke (14th) introduced a proposal Wednesday that would stop the city from renewing licenses for horse-drawn carriages, which would effectively end the practice on the city’s streets.”

How serious is the proposed ban? As quoted in the Chicago Sun-Times, Mayor Rahm Emanuel joked at a city council meeting, “Hurry up and get your last ride in.” He added that, “It’s a step forward and the right thing. Obviously, we’ll have a debate and a discussion. But [it has] my general Support.” We think that’s pretty serious.

Image Source: Harry Pujols/Flickr