NYC to End Horse-Drawn Carriage Rides, PETA Pledges $50,000

New York City announced plans to ban horse-drawn carriage rides, a victory for animal rights advocates. PETA pledged $50,000 to support the initiative and protect the horses involved.

New York City has passed Romanch’s Law, which will end horse‑drawn carriage rides by June 1, 2028, and PETA has pledged $50,000 for the horses’ future care. The legislation follows decades of advocacy, high‑profile horse deaths, and a 78 % public approval rating for a ban. The City Council voted to approve the ban after a vigorous campaign led by PETA and NYCLASS. PETA’s $50,000 donation was announced at City Hall Park by Speaker Julie Menin and Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The organization’s Honorary Director, Edie Falco, testified in support of the bill, and hundreds of thousands of supporters rallied, protested, and placed billboards across New York. The law is named for Romanch Mahajan, an 18‑year‑old tourist killed in a carriage crash in June 2026, and also honors earlier victims such as Ryder, a horse who collapsed on a Manhattan street in 2022, and Lady, who died while pulling a carriage through busy streets. PETA highlighted the industry’s cruelty, noting that horses are forced through chaotic traffic, inhale exhaust, and suffer respiratory ailments, leg and hoof problems, and injuries. The Transport Workers Union, representing about 200 carriage drivers and owners, vowed to sue the city the moment Mayor Mamdani signs the bill. In a letter to the city’s Law Department, the union’s attorneys called the legislation a “train wreck of constitutional and due process violations” and claimed it takes property without just compensation, rendering future investments worthless. The union said it is not opposed to regulation and remains willing to work with officials on a law that protects workers, animals, and is legally sound. City officials, including Speaker Menin, defended the ban, citing the “tragic and preventable” death of Romanch Mahajan and the growing public safety liability of horse‑drawn carriages in a busy Central Park. They expressed confidence that the law will withstand legal challenges.

Read source: PETA