PETA Wants Carriage Rides Banned

PETA is asking the mayor of Atlanta to ban horse-drawn carriage rides in the city after several people were hurt when a carriage was hit by two speeding cars last Friday.

On Friday, April 16, investigators say a horse-drawn carriage was hit by two cars on Peachtree Street, sending four people to the hospital. The driver of one of those cars, 28-year-old Gerald Odom, was charged with following too closely, driving with a suspended license, and violating the open container policy.

In a letter sent to Mayor Kasim Reed and the Atlanta City Council on Tuesday, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) asked for a ban on horse-drawn carriage rides in the city.

"Forcing horses to pull heavy loads through busy city streets is cruel, and it's an accident waiting to happen," says PETA Director Debbie Leahy. "This incident should be a wake-up call to the people of Atlanta. The only way to ensure the safety of passengers, motorists, and horses is to ban horse-drawn carriages, so we urge the mayor and the City Council to act to prevent future tragedies."

In the letter, PETA pointed out that similar incidents have occurred in other cities where horse-drawn carriages operate.