Animal rights groups thank Katz for ban
11/29/2012 04:58
Transportation minister praised for recent decision to champion a horse carriage ban.
Horse cart, Tel Aviv Photo: 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.”