Animal rights groups thank Katz for ban

Transportation minister praised for recent decision to champion a horse carriage ban.

Horse cart, Tel Aviv_311 (photo credit: Courtesy Hakol Hai)
Horse cart, Tel Aviv_311
(photo credit: Courtesy Hakol Hai)
In honor of the upcoming December 1 Horses Without Carriages International Day, international animal protection organizations sent letters of praise to Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz on Wednesday for his recent decision to champion a horse carriage ban, Israeli organization Hakol Chai announced that day.
Hakol Chai has campaigned for a ban on horse-drawn carts in Israel for years, and the organization is thrilled with this decision, according to organization representative, Michal Volansky.
Letters to the minister came from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and the global coalition Horses Without Carriages, praising the ban as superior to monitoring such carriage use with regulation.
“These horses, often rented for a few dollars per day, have been forced to drag heavy loads in freezing and sweltering temperatures while walking on hard pavement, dodging cars, and inhaling exhaust fumes, while typically receiving no veterinary care and inadequate food and water,” wrote PETA president, Ingrid Newkirk.
“At night, they are kept in unsuitable and dangerous conditions. Countless horses have died from exhaustion, malnutrition, disease and abandonment.”